Startup Alert24 Evolves GPS Life Jacket For Seafarers’ Safety
Field trials have been conducted in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh Fisheries Department and AP Tourism, including test runs at Antarvedi and Srisailam. Recently, the startup has partnered with Amaravati Boating Club for further validation
Visakhapatnam: Lost at sea is a challenge that fishing communities in coastal areas fear the worst. A young innovator from Pudimadaka in Anakapalli district has come as a saviour with his GPS-equipped smart life jacket that starts sending distress signals from the moment a person wearing the jacket goes overboard.
The moment the fisherman wearing Alert24 smart life jacket falls into water, the device automatically activates and starts transmitting distress signals about its exact location in real-time. These signals can be traced through satellite and mobile networks.
The life jacket has an integrated emergency button, LED lamp for night visibility, and a voice monitoring system. These work together to ensure that a person is located even if s/he is unconscious or stranded beyond the range of mobile networks up to 30 kilometres from shore.
Field trials have been conducted in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh Fisheries Department and AP Tourism, including test runs at Antarvedi and Srisailam. Recently, the startup has partnered with Amaravati Boating Club for further validation.
The founder innovator of the Alert24 life jacket is Dadi Teja. His startup Alert24 is under incubation in IIM Visakhapatnam. The smart life jacket has already been patented.
In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, Teja said the idea came to him after witnessing the risks fishermen face daily. He himself is from a fishing family and knows the dangers of faring into the sea.
According to him, he conceptualised the innovation in late 2023. Since then, he has conducted more than 70 deep-sea trials to validate the jacket’s performance. He says: “Industrial waste has severely reduced fish availability, forcing fishermen to venture into open waters. Most traditional fishing boats are non-mechanised, made of wood and operated using air currents, increasing risk levels."
Teja’s jacket has two versions. The first is priced around ₹18,000. It uses a GSM-based GPS-tracking system that operates using mobile networks, typically within 30 kilometres of the coast.
The second version, currently under development, is expected to cost around ₹50,000. It will integrate the life jacket’s GPS with satellite communication. It can thus operate beyond 30 km where mobile networks fail, particularly near international waters. Through satellite connectivity, tracking remains uninterrupted regardless of the distance from shore.
The battery used is long-lasting, capable of transmitting signals for over 20 days.
"We're also exploring integration with private satellite networks that track large cargo vessels," the Alert24 founder disclosed.
The life jacket has received the Best Maritime Safety Product Award from the Philippine Innovation Society. It has been showcased at India Mobile Congress and National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts in IIT Madras.
Teja said his company is in discussions with the Philippines government for deployment of the device.
