Context:
Recently, Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) launched India’s advanced indigenous Ocean Research Vessel ORV Sagar Manthan for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). The ₹840-crore vessel is expected to be commissioned by early 2028.
About ORV Sagar Manthan:
Sagar Manthan is India’s first advanced ocean research vessel built by GRSE and will gradually replace the 43-year-old ORV Sagar Kanya. It is 89.5 m long, 18.8 m wide, has a gross tonnage of about 5,900 tonnes and can operate at 14 knots.
Designed for severe sea conditions, it will undertake research in the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, Southern Ocean and waters around Antarctica, with an expected service life of around 30 years.
Key Scientific Capabilities:
The vessel is equipped with:
- Swath multibeam and geophysical seismic surveys up to 6 km depth.
- Sub-bottom profilers and oceanographic instruments.
- CTD profiling, water and biological sampling.
- Seabed corers, grabs and rock-dredging systems.
- Advanced Doppler weather radar and atmospheric observation systems.
- Facilities to deploy and recover AUVs and ROVs.
- Moorings, data buoys and onboard data-processing facilities.
It will support research on marine minerals, climate change, tsunamis, ocean dynamics and biodiversity.
Link with Deep Ocean Mission
The Deep Ocean Mission seeks to develop technologies for sustainable exploration of deep-sea resources. Sagar Manthan will significantly strengthen its Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration component.
About Deep Ocean Mission (DOM):
India’s Deep Ocean Mission, launched in 2021 by MoES with an outlay of about ₹4,077 crore, is a comprehensive initiative aimed at deep-sea exploration and strengthening the Blue Economy.
Its major components include:
1. Samudrayaan: Development of MATSYA 6000, an indigenous manned submersible designed to carry three aquanauts to 6,000 m depth.
2. Deep-Sea Mining: Development of technologies to explore polymetallic nodules containing nickel, cobalt, manganese and copper in the Central Indian Ocean Basin.
3. Ocean Climate Advisory: Development of advanced ocean-climate prediction and advisory services.
4. Energy and Freshwater: Research on Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion and offshore desalination.
5. Marine Biology: Establishment of an Advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology for biotechnology and conservation.
Sagar Manthan strengthens the Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration vertical of DOM by providing an advanced indigenous research platform.
Strategic Significance
- Atmanirbhar Bharat: Reduces dependence on imported research vessels.
- Blue Economy: Supports marine resources, shipping, energy, logistics and ocean-based industries.
- Climate & Disaster Management: Improves understanding of ocean-atmosphere interactions, cyclones and tsunamis.
- Critical Minerals: Enables exploration of strategic deep-sea mineral resources.
- Maritime Capability: Enhances India’s scientific and strategic presence in the Indian Ocean Region.
Conclusion
ORV Sagar Manthan marks an important step in India’s transition from importing ocean-research platforms to building them domestically. Integrated with the Deep Ocean Mission, it can strengthen India’s scientific capabilities, resource security, climate resilience and long-term Blue Economy ambitions.
