Why in News?
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched India’s advanced Ocean Research Vessel (ORV) Sagar Manthan at Rishi Bankim Shipyard, Kolkata, on 9 September 2026. The vessel has been designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Key Highlights
- ORV Sagar Manthan has been constructed under Vertical-4 (Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration) of the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) at an approximate cost of ₹840 crore.
- The vessel is an all-weather, multidisciplinary research platform designed to operate in extreme oceanic environments, including the Southern Ocean, with a projected service life of 30 years.
- It is equipped with advanced systems such as multibeam bathymetry, multichannel seismic systems, sub-bottom profiling, weather radar, dynamic positioning, and facilities to deploy ROVs and AUVs.
- The vessel will support research on deep-sea mineral resources, ocean mapping, climate and atmospheric observations, environmental baselines and water-column studies in the Indian Ocean.
- The vessel will gradually replace the 43-year-old ORV Sagar Kanya, which was procured from Germany in 1983. Its final delivery and commissioning for NCPOR/MoES is scheduled for 2028.
Significance
ORV Sagar Manthan marks an important step towards Atmanirbharta in oceanographic research and maritime technology. It will strengthen India’s capabilities in deep-ocean exploration, climate research, disaster preparedness, marine resource assessment and ocean geopolitics.
