India’s first manned Deep Ocean Mission ‘Samudrayaan’ plans to send 3 humans to 6-km ocean depth in a submersible named Matsya 6000, to study the deep sea resources and biodiversity assessment.

The project will not disturb the ocean ecosystem. The Deep Ocean Mission supports the 'Blue Economy' policy of India and envisages sustainable utilization of ocean resources for economic

growth of the country, improve livelihoods and jobs, and preserve the ocean ecosystem.

As a part of the testing, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) scientists are exploring all circumstances that the Samudrayaan Mission can face. Samudrayaan mission is underway as part of the Deep Ocean Mission.

What is the Samudryaan Mission?

India’s first manned mission to explore the deep ocean mission of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). It was launched on 29 October 2021 from Chennai.

With this step India joined the elite club of nations such as the USA, Russia, Japan, France and China in having such underwater vehicles for carrying out subsea activities.
It will facilitate MoES in carrying out deep ocean exploration of the nonliving resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides and cobalt crusts, located at a depth between 1000 and 5500 metres.
Preliminary design of the manned submersible MATSYA 6000 is completed and realization of vehicle has been started with various organizations including Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) roped-in to support the development.
Sea trials of 500 metre rated shallow water version of the manned submersible are expected to take place in the last quarter of 2022 and MATSYA 6000 will be ready for trials by the second quarter of 2024.

What is MATSYA 6000?

MATSYA 6000 is a manned submersible vehicle developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.

National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences is developing a manned submersible with a capacity to carry three human beings to 6000 m ocean depth.
It was developed under the Samudrayaan mission to facilitate humans in the deep ocean in exploring mineral resources.
It is designed with the capability of operating in the deep sea for 12 hours while in case of emergency, it can also operate up to 96 hours with all the necessary measures for human safety.

Key Facts about Deep Ocean Mission

Deep Ocean Mission will be a mission mode project to support the Blue Economy Initiatives of the Government of India. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will be the nodal Ministry implementing this multi institutional ambitious mission.

The aim of the Deep Ocean Mission is to help India in achieving a target of over Rs. 100 billion “Blue Economy” through its ocean resources.

Major Objectives of Deep Ocean Mission

To address issues arising from long term changes in the ocean due to climate change
To develop technologies for deep-sea mission of living (biodiversity) and non-living (minerals) resources
To develop underwater vehicles and underwater robotics
To provide ocean climate change advisory services
To identify technological innovations and conservation methods for sustainable utilization of marine bioresources
To develop offshore based desalination techniques
To develop renewable energy generation techniques
To provide clean drinking water and explore the avenues of desalination of water as well as extracting minerals from the ocean belt