Samudrayaan Mission, part of India's Deep Ocean Mission, aim to send three individuals to 6,000 meters in a submersible developed by NIOT, Chennai. The mission's objectives are to explore and sustainably utilize deep-sea resources like polymetallic nodules, gas hydrates, and cobalt crusts, boosting 'Blue Economy' and enhancing technological capabilities.
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Picture Courtesy: INDIAN EXPRESS
Two Indian aquanauts recently conducted deep dives in the Atlantic Ocean aboard a French vessel, as part of preparatory training for India's upcoming Samudrayaan Mission.
It aims to develop a self-propelled manned submersible to carry three human at the depth of 6,000 meters in the ocean. It operates under the larger Deep Ocean Mission.
MATSYA 6000: India's first manned submersible developed as part of the Samudrayaan, it offers an operational period of 12 hours and can sustain up to 96 hours in emergency scenarios.
MATSYA-6000 will enable the exploration of polymetallic nodules (rich in manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper) and hydrothermal sulphides, making the way for future commercial exploitation of these valuable resources.
Development of manned submersibles and associated deep-sea technologies enhances India's scientific and strategic capabilities.
Mission will create job opportunities in industries, including MSMEs and start-ups, through the design, development, and fabrication of specialized equipment, vessels, and infrastructure.
It was launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), to explore and sustainably harness ocean wealth and strengthen the Blue Economy.
Budget: Estimated cost of ₹4,077 crore over five years.
Components of the Deep Ocean Mission
Technologies for Deep Sea Mining and Manned Submersible: MATSYA 6000 develops as part of Integrated Mining System to extract Polymetallic Nodules from 6,000 meters depth in the Central Indian Ocean.
Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services: Develops observations and models for future projections of important climate variables on seasonal to decadal timescales.
Technological Innovations for Deep-Sea Biodiversity: Focuses on bio-prospecting deep-sea flora, fauna, and microbes, and studies their sustainable utilization.
Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration: Explores and identifies potential sites for multi-metal hydrothermal sulphides mineralization along Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges.
Energy and Freshwater from the Ocean: Studies and engineering designs for an offshore Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) powered desalination plant.
Advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology: Develops human capacity and enterprise in ocean biology and engineering, translating research into industrial applications and product development through on-site business incubators.
Significance of the Deep Ocean Mission For India
Economic Significance
Resource Harnessing: About 95% of the deep ocean remaining unexplored, holding vast potential for mineral wealth, biodiversity, renewable energy, and climate clues.
Blue Economy Growth: Supports Blue Economy vision, identified as one of ten core dimensions of growth by 2030, support marine-based industries like fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, trade, shipping, biotechnology, and manufacturing.
Mineral Resources: Polymetallic Nodules (PMN) containing minerals like manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper, essential for electronics, smartphones, batteries, and solar panels.
Energy and Freshwater: Develop technologies for generating renewable energy through OTEC and provide freshwater via desalination plants, especially for coastal populations like the Lakshadweep Islands.
Job Creation and Industrial Growth: Designing, developing, and fabricating specialized equipment, ships, and infrastructure stimulates growth in Indian industries, including MSMEs and start-ups.
Climate Change Solutions: Deep ocean exploration helps understand and provide future projections of climate variables, aiding coastal communities, enhancing tourism, and supporting climate resilience.
Biodiversity Conservation: Study unique marine ecosystems, research microbes with potential applications in biotechnology.
Strategic Significance
Global Leadership: Join elite group of nations (United States, Russia, China, Japan, and France) with advanced deep-sea exploration capabilities and manned submersibles.
Technological Self-Reliance: Developing indigenous capabilities in deep-sea mining, renewable ocean energy, and biotechnology reduces dependency on imports of critical minerals and technologies.
Maritime Security: Mapping the deep sea and maintaining strong underwater domain awareness is critical for safeguarding maritime and security interests.
Technological Hurdles: Operating in the deep sea requires a advance technology and extremely specific capabilities that are challenging and expensive to develop.
Communication: Radio waves cannot penetrate deep water, demanding the use of acoustic telephones. Sound underwater is affected by hydrological conditions like temperature, pressure, and salinity.
Life Support Systems: Maintaining suitable oxygen levels and managing carbon dioxide through scrubbers will be crucial for aquanaut safety.
Material Dependency: India depends on imported high-quality materials, such as titanium alloys, for submersible construction, as these materials are not commonly found and many countries are not willing to share.
Human Capital Shortage: Shortage of trained personnel for deep-sea operations, including aquanauts, marine biologists, and engineers.
International Regulations and Environmental Concerns: Commercial exploitation of polymetallic nodules awaits the ISA's finalization of commercial exploitation codes, regulatory uncertainty delays the start of mining operations.
Way ForwardCapacity Building: Develop a dedicated national program to build capacity in deep-sea engineering, marine biology, and subsea robotics, developing a qualified domestic workforce.
Achieve Material Self-Reliance: Reduce dependency on imported high-quality materials, such as titanium alloys, by investing in domestic research and production capabilities for the specialized materials.
Funding and Governance: Incentivize every aspect of deep ocean science and engineering through generous funding and a strong, empowered body.
Mission-Mode Execution: Execute well-funded, time-bound, and result-oriented projects in "mission-mode," ensuring quick approvals, ease of doing business, and high accountability of stakeholders.
Strategic Partnerships: Fast-track public-private partnerships to facilitate innovations in ocean energy and biotechnology.
Dual-Use Technology Consideration: Ensure that all deep-sea technologies are "dual use," serving both ocean research and exploitation as well as potential disruptive uses in conflict.
Source: INDIAN EXPRESS
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. The Samudrayaan Mission is a strategic necessity for India's economic and technological sovereignty. Critically Analyze. 250 words |
The Deep Ocean Mission is an ambitious initiative to explore deep oceans for resources and develop deep-sea technologies for their sustainable use, launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
The Blue Economy refers to all marine-based industries, including fisheries, shipping, biotechnology, and tourism, and it is a core driver of national growth for India by 2030.
Polymetallic Nodules are mineral-rich deposits containing valuable metals like manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper, which are crucial for manufacturing electronics, smartphones, batteries, and renewable energy technologies.
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