India’s ambitious Samudrayaan Project is set to send three personnel to a depth of 6000 metres in a submersible vehicle to explore the deep ocean and its resources. The project, part of the Deep Ocean Mission, aims to study deep-sea resources, conduct biodiversity assessments, and support India’s Blue Economy policy.
The announcement was made by Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Kiren Rijiju, in the Rajya Sabha. The Samudrayaan project is India’s first manned ocean mission, designed to explore and understand unexplored deep-sea areas through direct intervention while ensuring the ecosystem is not disturbed.
The mission is being developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai and is expected to be realised by 2026. The submersible vehicle, named ‘MATSYA 6000’, has an endurance of 12 hours under normal operation and 96 hours in case of emergencies for human safety.
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The Deep Ocean Mission aligns with India’s Blue Economy policy, which seeks to utilise ocean resources sustainably for economic growth, livelihood improvement, job creation, and maintaining ocean ecosystem health. The total cost of the mission, including the Samudrayaan project, is estimated at Rs. 4,077 crores over a five-year period and will be implemented in phases.
With this mission, India will join an elite group of countries with specialised technology and vehicles for conducting subsea missions, such as the United States, Russia, France, Japan, and China.
The Samudrayaan project represents a significant step towards India’s scientific exploration of the deep ocean and the utilisation of its resources for the country’s growth and development. It will enable researchers to study and understand the unexplored depths of the ocean, contributing to the knowledge of marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
