• India will operate its first human underwater submersible (Deep-Sea Manned Vehicle) at a depth of 500 metres in the sea as part of the Deep Ocean Mission, Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh said.

• He was speaking at the second meeting of the Mission Steering Committee on the ‘Deep Ocean Mission’.

• The minister said the submersible will operate at a depth of up to 500 metres this year, with a subsequent goal of reaching a depth of 6,000 metres by the next year.

Deep Ocean Mission

• The Ministry of Earth Sciences launched the Deep Ocean Mission in September 2021 to explore deep-sea living and  non-living resources to support the blue economy and for the sustainable harnessing of ocean resources. 

• Deep Ocean Mission was launched as a Central Sector Scheme with the overall estimated cost of Rs 4,077 crores for two phases of the Mission period during 2021-2026.

• Objectives of the Mission are intended for a better understanding of the deep sea resources of the Indian Ocean, thereby aiding efforts to expand the blue economy. 

• The activities of Deep Ocean Mission will help the components of the blue economy, such as fisheries, tourism and maritime transport, renewable energy, aquaculture, seabed resources exploration activities and marine biotechnology.

• The Deep Ocean Mission is a multi-ministerial, multi-disciplinary programme with an emphasis on the development of deep-sea technology that includes the development of a manned submersible rated for 6000-metre water depth along with technologies for deep-sea mining, exploration of deep-sea mineral resources and marine biodiversity, development of ocean climate change advisory services, deep sea surveys and exploration, and capacity building in marine biology & deep sea technology with infrastructure development.

• The Samudrayaan project under the Deep Ocean Mission is for the development of a manned submersible to carry three people to a depth of 6000 meters in the ocean with a suite of scientific sensors for ocean exploration and observation. The vehicle is called Matsya 6000. The entire vehicle design has been completed and various sub-components like underwater battery, propulsion system, underwater telephone, navigation and communication devices, power distribution and control systems, personnel sphere for 500 m water depth, lift support system, control software, etc have been realised.

• An extensive survey and exploration work is being carried out in the Central Indian Ocean Basin for polymetallic nodules (PMN) rich in nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese, etc and in central and south west Indian ridges for Polymetallic sulphides (PMS) rich in copper, zinc, etc. 

• India has signed a contract with International Sea-bed Authority (ISA) for exploration of PMN at Central Indian Ocean Basin for an area of 75,000 sq, km and PMS in central and south west Indian  ridges for an area of 10,000 sqkm.

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