Waterfly’s Sea-Gliders Revolutionize Coastal Travel from IIT Madras

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Waterfly Technologies, an innovative startup nurtured by IIT Madras’ incubation cell, has announced a groundbreaking advancement in marine transportation. The company claims it will soon transform travel between coastal cities like Kolkata and Chennai, slashing costs and time with its electric sea-gliders—wing-in-ground (WIG) crafts designed to skim just four meters above the water’s surface.
CEO and co-founder Harsh Rajesh revealed the science driving this bold vision. Leveraging the ground effect—where air cushioning between the craft and water reduces drag and boosts lift—these WIG crafts promise efficient flight at low speeds. “It’s as fast as a plane but as cheap as a ship,” Rajesh stated, outlining a future where a Kolkata-Chennai trip could cost just Rs 600 and take three hours.
Waterfly’s ambitions extend beyond civilian travel. The crafts, boasting a low radar footprint and amphibious capabilities, are poised for military use, offering agile troop and payload transport in contested zones at one-fifth the cost of helicopters. For coastal patrols, their fuel efficiency and stealth flight could replace hovercrafts. The startup also eyes tourism, medical emergencies, and cargo shipments, enhancing connectivity in coastal regions.
Looking ahead, Waterfly aims to disrupt intercontinental logistics with a 3,000-tonne hydrogen-electric WIG craft, targeting high-speed freight at 50 cents per kg-km—ten times cheaper than air cargo. With a 100 kg prototype expected by April, this IIT Madras-backed venture is steering marine transport into uncharted waters, blending sustainability with cutting-edge technology.