Inside Samudrayaan: India's Mission To Send 3 Scientists 6,000 Metres Under The Sea

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As part of 'Samudrayaan', India will deploy a submersible named Matsya - a 25-tonne titanium-hulled vehicle designed to endure the extreme pressure and cold of the deep ocean.
India is preparing to embark on a deep-sea mission of unprecedented scale, one that will send its scientists 6,000 metres beneath the ocean surface – a technological feat achieved by only a handful of nations. The mission, titled Samudrayaan, will mark India's first manned expedition to such depths, placing it in a select global club and expanding its reach from the skies to the seafloor.
The announcement was made during a session held at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Kochi on Tuesday, May 13, where Balaji Ramakrishnan, Director of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), outlined the government's plans and timelines. NIOT, which functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is spearheading the mission.
As part of Samudrayaan, India will deploy a submersible named Matsya – a 25-tonne titanium-hulled vehicle designed to endure the extreme pressure and cold of the deep ocean. The submersible will carry three crew members into the abyss, where they will collect biological and geological samples, conduct environmental observations, and explore mineral resources critical to future technologies.
Next is 'Samudrayaan"This is 'MATSYA 6000' submersible under construction at National Institute of Ocean Technology at Chennai. India's first manned Deep Ocean Mission 'Samudrayaan' plans to send 3 humans in 6-km ocean depth in a submersible, to study the deep sea resources and… pic.twitter.com/aHuR56esi7 — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 11, 2023
The mission is currently in its preparatory phase. A 500-metre test dive is expected by the end of this year, after which the full-depth expedition to 6,000 metres will follow in stages. Each dive is projected to take about four hours for descent and another four for return.
'Samudrayaan is not just a milestone in ocean research; it is a statement of India's technological capacity and long-term vision," Ramakrishnan said at the event. He added that the mission would significantly boost India's ability to study deep-sea biodiversity, climate change impacts, and rare-earth deposits found in the seabed.
Matsya, built entirely with indigenous technology, is equipped to navigate one of the harshest environments on the planet – a region of pitch darkness, near-zero temperatures, and pressures over 600 times that at sea level. The data and materials brought back from these missions are expected to inform marine science, pharmaceutical research, and climate modelling.
Also unveiled during the session was Samudrajivah, a parallel technological initiative focused on offshore aquaculture. The system uses electronic fish cages capable of operating in nutrient-rich waters away from the coastline. These cages can monitor the growth, health, and habitat of fish populations in real time, offering a scalable solution to enhance India's food security.
While Samudrajivah is currently in the demonstration stage, officials say it has the potential to transform India's marine farming sector and reduce dependence on coastal and inland aquaculture zones.
The government's dual push – into the deep ocean and sustainable offshore fisheries – signals a strategic expansion of its maritime capabilities. As global competition intensifies over seabed resources and oceanic research frontiers, missions like Samudrayaan represent a shift in India's scientific and geopolitical posture.
Though countries like the United States, China, and Russia have already made advances in deep-sea exploration, India's entry into this exclusive space underscores its growing ambitions in both civilian research and marine technology.

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