India’s 'bold' push for maritime power: Why going local is a major win for our future

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressing the 'Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026', organised by National Maritime Foundation, at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI, Nov 4: India is aiming to achieve global competitiveness in ocean research and exploration through indigenous capabilities, international cooperation and global co-creation, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said while addressing the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2026, organised by the National Maritime Foundation under the Ministry of Defence.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that India's approach to scientific missions in recent years has increasingly been based on a mission-mode framework, bringing 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.

Highlighting India's indigenous capabilities in deep-ocean exploration, the Minister said 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 referred to the Ocean Mineral Explorer, which enables high-resolution exploration of hydrothermal sulphide deposits, several of which have already been identified.He noted that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi reference to the Deep Ocean Mission twice in his Independence Day addresses reflects the priority accorded to ocean resources at the highest level and their strategic importance for India's future.

Referring to the Samudrayaan Mission, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the Matsya submersible is designed to carry three aquanauts to depths of 5,000-6,000 metres. He said 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.

Drawing a parallel with India's human spaceflight programme, the Minister said that the country is working towards a remarkable convergence of deep-sea and space exploration. He expressed the vision of having an Indian human being undertake a deep-sea journey to nearly 6,000 metres while almost simultaneously another Indian travels into space, reflecting the country's growing scientific and technological capabilities.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that India's ocean research is increasingly supported by space-based capabilities. He referred to dedicated satellites contributing 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 also support future exploration of renewable energy resources from the oceans, including wind and solar energy.

Emphasising the importance of a whole-of-government and whole-of-science approach, the Minister highlighted the contribution of different scientific institutions and departments to India's ocean-related missions. He referred to the role of nuclear technology in seawater desalination, including the desalination plant at Kalpakkam established with the support of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and the low-temperature desalination facility in Lakshadweep developed through the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

The Minister said these initiatives demonstrate how different scientific disciplines and technologies can work together to address national requirements, including access to potable water in coastal and island regions.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that international cooperation would be equally important in advancing ocean research, as oceans do not follow political boundaries drawn by countries. Issues such as marine pollution and changes in ocean temperature have consequences extending across national jurisdictions, making collective scientific efforts essential.

Connecting ocean exploration with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the Minister said that achieving the country's development goals would require identifying new sources of economic value addition. He observed that a significant part of this potential lies in resources that remain unexplored or underexplored, with the deep ocean representing one of the major opportunities.

During the interaction with participants, Dr. Jitendra Singh also addressed a question on the potential of nuclear-powered vessels and the future of clean energy in maritime transport. He referred to the recent opening of the nuclear sector to private participation under the SHANTI Act and India's target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear energy capacity by 2047. He said that the Deep Ocean Mission is also exploring different possibilities for generating renewable energy from the oceans, including through solar panels, ocean winds and temperature or energy gradients.