India Achieves Deep-Sea Diving Milestone

GS3 – Science & Technology

Context:

Two Indian aquanauts reached depths of 4,025 m and 5,002 m in the Atlantic Ocean, marking India’s entry into the league of nations capable of ultra-deep-sea human exploration.

Key Highlights

• Historic Dive: Conducted aboard the French submersible Nautile in collaboration with IFREMER (France’s Marine Research Institute).
• Indian Participation: Mission coordinated by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.
• Strategic Relevance: The dive serves as a precursor to India’s Samudrayaan Mission under the Deep Ocean Mission framework.

Samudrayaan Mission

• Objective: To send three aquanauts to 6,000 m depth in the indigenously developed submersible MATSYA-6000 by 2027.
• MATSYA-6000 Features:
  • Category: First-of-its-kind, fourth-generation scientific submersible.
  • Endurance:
    • 12 hours operational.
    • 96 hours emergency capacity.
  • Purpose: Scientific deep-sea exploration and resource mapping.

Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)

• Launch: 2021, as a Mission-mode project under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Budget & Timeline: ₹4,077 crore, implemented over 5 years (2021–2026).
• Key Objectives:
  1. Develop indigenous deep-sea technologies.
  2. Explore polymetallic nodules, rare earth elements, oil and gas reserves.
  3. Advance sustainable Blue Economy.
  4. Address climate change impacts and marine pollution.
• Recent Expansion: Announcement of the National Deepwater Exploration Mission to explore offshore oil and gas reserves.

Significance

• Enhances India’s strategic capabilities in ocean resource exploration.
• Reduces dependence on foreign data and technology.
• Contributes to energy security, blue economy growth, and scientific research.
• Supports India’s global positioning in deep-sea mining negotiations under the International Seabed Authority (ISA).