Planet Scuba India ropes in CREST to manufacture dive equipment in India

The company will introduce CREST Diving to DRDO's DEBEL and will aim to make India an alternative to China as a manufacturer of dive equipment

Scuba diving company Planet Scuba India has tied up with Taiwan's CREST Diving to manufacture dive equipment in India under the Make in India initiative. The company will introduce CREST Diving to DRDO's Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL).

"Planet Scuba India aims to help create an end-to-end dive equipment manufacturing ecosystem in the country," the company said in a statement.

DEBEL conducts research and development (R&D) in biotechnology and electromedical technology related to defence. Using aeromedical engineering, they have designed several products like the Combat Free Fall System (CFF).

"India already has the necessary infrastructure, from precision metal-shaping and mould-making to manufacturing various grades of plastics and associated polymer products," Planet Scuba India said.

It added that the existing facilities can be credited to the efforts of India's space programme and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The company also said that with this, India would become an alternative to China in manufacturing diving equipment.

The global diving equipment industry is expected to cross the $6 billion mark by 2027, according to a report by GlobalNewsWire. It added that China's market size is expected to reach $720 million, growing at the rate of 5.1 per cent between 2021 and 2027.

In India, Planet Scuba India is the largest supplier of dive equipment.