In a boost to India’s defence indigenisation drive and push for self-reliance in the sector, Amara Raja Design Alpha (ARDA), the specialised engineering R&D arm of the Amara Raja Group, has developed an indigenous Power Conditioning Cabinet (PCC) for naval sonar systems.
Naval sonar systems are technologies used by ships and submarines to detect, locate, and identify objects underwater, such as submarines, mines, torpedoes, and seabed features, using sound waves.
They form a critical layer of the Indian Navy’s underwater surveillance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities across its fleet. PCC in naval sonar systems refers to a specialised electrical unit that manages, stabilises, and distributes power to sonar equipment on a ship or submarine.
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According to the company, the PCC will support loads of up to 160 kW, delivering stable, high-reliability power distribution for sonar systems, where acoustic detection equipment requires extremely high power quality during sustained maritime operations.
The PCC units developed by the company will comply with global military standards such as MIL-STD-901D for shock and MIL-STD-461 for EMI/EMC, ensuring performance and survivability in demanding naval environments, ARDA said in a statement.
'Made in India' content
The company said in the statement that around 61 per cent of the PCC’s components are indigenous, enabling nearly 40 per cent cost savings through advanced power engineering and local manufacturing.
The development comes at a time when the the Navy’s budget has grown sharply from ₹49,623 crore in 2020–21 to over ₹1,03,548 crore in 2025–26, and investments in such subsystems are becoming increasingly important to sustain the force’s operational readiness and technological edge in the Indian Ocean Region.
ARDA, which provides end-to-end product development services spanning electronics, mechanical and industrial design, power electronics, photonics systems, prototyping, testing, and turnkey manufacturing, plans to expand its role in the next phase by designing power amplifiers, signal interfaces and power amplifier cabinets, helping to build a comprehensive indigenous ecosystem for naval sonar systems. This also signals a broader shift, of private sector players taking on complex subsystems traditionally led by public sector units and defence laboratories, deepening domestic capability in high-end defence electronics.
“We are excited that our expertise in electronics and power system design and manufacturing can contribute directly to our nation’s defence systems,” said Dr Suresh Nair, managing director, ARDA, adding that the development reflects the company’s commitment to building long-term capabilities in strategically important technologies alongside India’s defence research institutions.
Headquartered in Kochi, ARDA operates as a design-led engineering and product development company focused on electronics systems design and manufacturing.