The deep sea, still full of mysteries, holds not just the secrets of human origins but also clues to our long-term sustenance and preservation. To unlock its hidden potential, India’s Deep Ocean Mission was launched on 7th September 2021 by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) with the aim to develop technologies for exploring and sustainably utilising the deep ocean’s living and non-living wealth. With an overall investment of ₹4,077 crore spread across five years, this mission is not a one-time dive – it will unfold in phases and is designed as a full-throttle national project, driving forward India’s Blue Economy, which includes all marine-based industries – from fishing and shipping to biotechnology and tourism.
Exploring these depths could provide solutions to global challenges like climate change. Recognising this, the United Nations designated the 2021–2030 decade as the ‘Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development’. India’s unique geography, with 7,517 km of coastline, nine coastal states, and 1,382 islands, gives it a strategic advantage. In the Government of India’s Vision for New India 2030, the Blue Economy has been placed among the ten core growth dimensions. The Ministry of Earth Sciences is leading this multi-agency effort to tap into ocean resources and build a ₹100 billion maritime economy, transforming deep-sea potential into sustainable prosperity.
One of the mission’s key elements is the development of technologies for deep-sea mining and a manned submersible. India is building a self-propelled vehicle named MATSYA 6000, which can transport three individuals to depths of 6,000 meters. This advanced submersible will support India’s future ambitions in commercial mineral exploration. Alongside it, an integrated mining system is being developed to extract polymetallic nodules from the deep sea in the Central Indian Ocean. Another component is the development of ocean climate change advisory services. This includes creating models to understand and predict key climate variables, contributing to climate adaptation and promoting coastal tourism.
The mission also focuses on technological innovations for exploration and conservation of deep-sea biodiversity. This includes bio-prospecting deep-sea flora, fauna, and microbes, with a view to promoting sustainable use of biological resources and boosting marine fisheries and allied services. Through the Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration component, India aims to identify multi-metal hydrothermal sulphide sites along the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges. In terms of energy and freshwater, the mission proposes a proof-of-concept Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) powered desalination plant, contributing to offshore renewable energy development.
To support marine biology and innovation, the Advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology will be established. This centre will focus on translating research into industrial products, fostering ocean-related entrepreneurship and manufacturing, and building talent through on-site incubators.
The Samudrayaan Project was launched under this mission to deliver on the deep-sea exploration goals. MATSYA 6000, the manned submersible, is designed for a 12-hour operational period and 96-hour emergency capability. It features high-density lithium-polymer batteries, underwater acoustic communication, drop-weight escape systems, and safety vests for life support and health monitoring. The vessel is a spherical titanium-alloy structure with a diameter of 2260 mm and wall thickness of 80 mm, capable of withstanding 600 bar pressure and sub-zero temperatures. The titanium sphere was welded using Electron Beam Welding (EBW), a highly specialised process developed by ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre after over 700 trials. The welding was tested with advanced non-destructive techniques such as Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD) and Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT).
MATSYA 6000 is being developed collaboratively by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. The vehicle has already undergone rigorous dry integration testing up to 500 meters to validate system functionality. Between January and February 2025, wet trials were held at L&T Shipyard in Chennai to assess flotation, control, safety, navigation, and communication systems. Scientific payloads such as oceanographic sensors were also tested.
The demonstration phase included eight dives—five unmanned and five manned. These trials rigorously tested life support systems and the submersible’s performance under real conditions. On August 5 and 6, 2025, India achieved a major milestone with its first ever 5000-meter deep-sea dive. This was conducted in collaboration with IFREMER, the French marine research institute, using their submersible Nautile. Indian aquanauts Senior Scientist Raju Ramesh and Commander Jatinder Pal Singh (Retd) completed successful seven-hour dives, collecting vital data and hands-on operational experience.
The Indian team gained insights into pre-dive procedures, buoyancy control, manipulator operations, flag placement, sample collection, deployment and retrieval, trajectory tracking, and acoustic communication. The Indo-French collaboration is instrumental in advancing the MATSYA 6000 programme, which has already realised and tested the titanium hull, syntactic foam, variable ballast system, and emergency drop-weight mechanisms. Open ocean testing, shallow water demonstrations, and full system integration are scheduled through 2026 and 2027, with deep-water tests and scientific dives set for 2027–28.
India has also made progress in autonomous underwater vehicle development. In December 2022, the Ocean Mineral Explorer (OMe 6000), an autonomous vehicle, explored depths of 5,271 meters in the Central Indian Ocean Basin. Deployed using the research vessel Sagar Nidhi, it surveyed polymetallic manganese nodule-rich zones, helping to map seabed biodiversity and mineral distribution.
India’s Deep Ocean Mission, through these achievements, is expanding indigenous capability in ocean science and engineering. By entering the elite club of deep-sea exploration nations, India is setting the stage for long-term strategic, scientific, and environmental leadership in marine research and resource development.
