Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh discusses India's plans to enhance ocean research and exploration capabilities, focusing on indigenous technologies, international cooperation, and global collaboration.
On November 4, 2026, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh addressed the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026 organized by the National Maritime Foundation under the Ministry of Defence. In his address, he outlined India's ambition to achieve global competitiveness in ocean research and exploration through indigenous capabilities, international cooperation, and global co-creation.
Highlighting India's recent approach to scientific missions, Dr. Singh stressed the importance of a mission-mode framework that brings together multiple departments and institutions, rather than confining research to individual ministries. He highlighted the growing convergence of ocean sciences, space technology, nuclear science, geology, electronics, and robotics in advancing India's maritime and deep-ocean capabilities.
In terms of indigenous capabilities, Dr. Singh pointed out that the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, has developed the capability to conduct trials at depths of 5,000 to 6,000 metres in the Central Indian Ocean Basin. He also mentioned the Ocean Mineral Explorer, which enables high-resolution exploration of hydrothermal sulphide deposits.
Dr. Singh further revealed that India is progressing towards sending its first human deep-sea mission to a depth of up to 6,000 metres by 2028, marking an important milestone in the country's indigenous deep-ocean exploration programme. The submersible for this mission, called Samudrayaan, is designed to carry three aquanauts.
Emphasizing the role of space-based capabilities, Dr. Singh noted that dedicated satellites contribute to ocean-related research through observations of ocean colour, sea-surface temperature, and wind vectors. These capabilities, he said, are expanding the scope of ocean observation and could support future exploration of renewable energy resources from the oceans, including wind and solar energy.
Dr. Singh emphasized the importance of a whole-of-government and whole-of-science approach to ocean research, highlighting the contribution of different scientific institutions and departments to India's ocean-related missions. He also stressed the need for international cooperation in advancing ocean research, as issues such as marine pollution and changes in ocean temperature have consequences extending across national jurisdictions.
Dr. Singh called for global strategies and partnerships based on joint scientific missions, reciprocal access to research facilities, and data sharing. He outlined key priorities for strengthening regional cooperation, including closing observational gaps and improving the forecasting of extreme events; establishing regional climate services partnerships for coasts and islands; promoting responsible and accessible ocean technologies; advancing deep-ocean research; and strengthening conservation and equitable use of ocean resources.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
