Context:

Recently, two Indian aquanauts, Commander (Retd) Jatinder Pal Singh and R Ramesh completed the deepest-ever underwater dives, reaching depths of 5,002 metres and 4,025 metres in the Atlantic Ocean. These dives were conducted aboard the French submersible Nautile as part of training for India’s upcoming Samudrayaan Mission, the country’s first manned deep-sea expedition.

About Samudrayaan Mission:

Samudrayaan is India’s first manned deep-ocean mission, launched under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). The mission aims to develop a self-propelled submersible capable of carrying three crew members to a depth of 6,000 metres.

• This initiative seeks to explore deep-sea resources and conduct biodiversity assessments without disturbing the marine ecosystem.
• It aligns with the government’s Blue Economy policy, promoting sustainable use of ocean resources.

MATSYA 6000: 

At the core of Samudrayaan is MATSYA 6000, an indigenously developed manned submersible by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.

·        It will allow scientists to directly observe unexplored regions of the ocean.

·        MATSYA 6000 has an operational endurance of 12 hours, extendable to 96 hours in emergencies.

·        Once launched, likely by 2027, India will become only the sixth country after the US, Russia, France, Japan, and China to achieve such a feat.

Deep Ocean Mission:

Samudrayaan is a key component of the Deep Ocean Mission, a multi-ministerial, multi-disciplinary initiative supporting the Blue Economy. The mission has a budget of ₹4,077 crore over five years (2021–26) and consists of six components:

1.       Technologies for deep-sea mining and robotics

2.      Ocean climate advisory services

3.      Biodiversity exploration and conservation

4.     Deep-ocean survey and exploration

5.     Ocean-based energy and freshwater

6.     Advanced marine biology stations

About NIOT:

Established in 1993, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) is an autonomous body under MoES.

·        Its mission is to develop indigenous marine technologies for sustainable exploration of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

·        NIOT plays a central role in enabling India’s leap into deep-sea exploration through Samudrayaan.

Conclusion:

The record-breaking dives have demonstrated the capabilities of the Indian aquanauts and the country's growing expertise in deep-sea exploration. The success of the Samudrayaan Mission will not only enhance India's scientific knowledge of the ocean but also open up new avenues for the exploration and exploitation of marine resources.