The state-of-the-art ORV Sagar Manthan, designed, engineered, and constructed by GRSE for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), was launched on September 9, 2026. The vessel will gradually replace the iconic 43-year-old ORV Sagar Kanya.
On September 9, 2026, the long-awaited Ocean Research Vessel (ORV) Sagar Manthan was launched at the Rishi Bankim Shipyard in Kolkata. This significant event was officiated by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Earth Sciences, and his spouse, Mrs Manju Singh, who named the vessel in accordance with tradition.
Dr T. Srinivasa Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, also attended the ceremony. In his address, he expressed pride in India's shift from acquiring research platforms abroad to building them domestically.
The Hon'ble Minister highlighted National Pride, Global Ocean Geopolitics, and Atmanirbharta during his keynote address. He praised the team for achieving the launch within just two years of contract signing and barely five months after keel laying, hailing it as an exceptional display of efficiency.
The ORV Sagar Manthan was designed, engineered, and constructed by defense public sector undertaking Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). The vessel is a part of Vertical-4 (Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration) of the Government of India's flagship Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) at an approximate cost of Rs. 840 Crore.
Key technical features include integrated dynamic positioning, multibeam bathymetry, multichannel seismic systems, sub-bottom profiling, weather radar, drop keels, and deployment facilities for Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). The vessel is engineered to operate in extreme oceanic environments, including the Southern Ocean, with a projected service life of 30 years.
Following its launch, superstructure erection, system integration, and extensive sea trials will proceed before its final delivery for commissioning to NCPOR/MoES, which is scheduled for 2028.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
