Indian Minister for Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju on Thursday told parliament that soon the country would be sending three personnel to a depth of 6,000 metres in a submersible vehicle.
“Deep Ocean Mission supports the Blue Economy policy of the government having potential for country’s GDP growth, and envisages sustainable utilization of ocean resources for economic growth of the country, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health”, the federal minister stated.
Samudrayaan's mission aims to boost the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's vision for a "New India" that highlights the blue economy as one of the 10 core dimensions of growth.
The minister also clarified that the mission will not disturb the ecosystem, as the submersible is used solely for exploration purposes.
“The Samudrayaan project is expected to be realized by 2026 and is being designed and developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai”, Indian media reported.
If the mission is successfully achieved, India will join the elite group of countries with specialist technology and vehicles to conduct subsea missions, including the United States, Russia, France, Japan, and China.