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Key Points

India has achieved a major milestone by completing a 5,000-metre deep dive in the Atlantic Ocean using the French submersible Nautile. This success brings the nation closer to its ambitious MATSYA 6000 project, an indigenous deep-sea exploration initiative. The mission, part of an Indo-French collaboration, highlights India’s growing expertise in marine research. The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) played a crucial role in this achievement.

Key Points: India Achieves 5,000-Metre Deep Dive in Indo-French Ocean Mission

  • India completes 5,000-metre dive in Atlantic with French submersible Nautile
  • MATSYA 6000 aims for 6,000-metre indigenous deep-sea exploration
  • Mission supports Indo-French collaboration under Deep Ocean Mission
  • NIOT Chennai played a key role in the historic dive
2 min read

India achieves 5,000-metre deep dive milestone in Indo-French ocean mission

India marks a milestone with a 5,000-metre deep dive using French submersible Nautile, advancing the MATSYA 6000 project under Samudrayan.

"“This successful dive demonstrates India’s growing capabilities in ocean science and technology, and strengthens our global partnerships in marine research.” – Dr Jitendra Singh"

New Delhi, Aug 14

The Ministry of Earth Sciences on Thursday announced the successful 5,000-metre deep dive of Indian aquanauts aboard the French submersible Nautile in the Atlantic Ocean.

The achievement marks a major step towards India’s ambitious MATSYA 6000 project -- the nation’s first indigenously developed deep-sea human submersible under the Samudrayan Project, said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh.

The 'MATSYA 6000' is designed to reach depths of up to 6,000 metres for deep-ocean exploration, resource assessment, and biodiversity studies.

The mission was part of Indo-French collaboration under the Deep Ocean Mission, aimed at advancing scientific research and technology in extreme marine environments.

“This successful dive demonstrates India’s growing capabilities in ocean science and technology, and strengthens our global partnerships in marine research,” the minister added.

The mission was executed with the support of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, and is expected to pave the way for future deep-sea expeditions, including the first manned descent into the Indian Ocean at extreme depths.

Last month, the minister said that the union government has consistently increased the budget allocation for science and research, with the highest allocation made in FY2025-26 since the last five years.

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Singh shared that “more than Rs 65,307 crore budget has been allocated to six scientific agencies for research in FY 2025-26".

In comparison, Rs 41,581.96 crore was allocated for science and research in 2024-25, and Rs 39,843 crore in 2023-24.

In 2022-23, the government allocated Rs 37,828 crore and in 2021-22, Rs 37,823 crore.

The six major scientific agencies/departments are the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research/ Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR/CSIR), the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Department of Space (DOS), the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Great achievement but I hope the government maintains focus on basic research too. While big projects like these get attention, many small labs struggle for funding. Balance is important.
V
Vikram M
Indo-French collaboration is the way forward! We should have more such international partnerships to accelerate our scientific progress. Jai Hind! 🙏
R
Rohit P
The budget increase for science is impressive, but I wonder how much actually reaches working scientists. Sometimes too much gets spent on bureaucracy and less on actual research.
K
Kavya N
As someone from Chennai, I'm so proud of NIOT's role in this! Our city is becoming a hub for ocean research. Can't wait to see what they discover in the Indian Ocean next!
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Siddharth J
Deep sea exploration is exciting, but I hope we're also investing in protecting our coastal ecosystems. Development and conservation must go hand in hand.
M
Meera T
This is why we need to encourage more girls to take up STEM! Imagine Indian women scientists leading such deep-sea missions in future. The possibilities are endless!

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