India’s Deep Sea Exploration Ambitions Introduction

• India’s deep-sea exploration journey has gained significant momentum, marked by the recent wet testing of the Matsya-6000 submersible, a groundbreaking achievement in the nation’s quest to explore the ocean’s depths. 
• Capable of diving to 6 kilometers below the sea surface, this submersible is at the heart of the Samudrayaan Project under the Deep Ocean Mission. This initiative is part of India’s broader strategy to position itself as a global leader in deep-sea research and to harness the vast potential of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), located 200 nautical miles off the coastline. 
• But, as Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (Retd) points out, India’s focus on developing deep-sea capabilities isn’t just about scientific exploration. It’s about ensuring economic strength, building digital infrastructure, enhancing national security, and remaining competitive in a world where China is already making significant strides in the same field.

Why Deep Sea Exploration Matters for India?

• • India’s EEZ holds vast untapped resources, from mineral deposits to valuable marine bio-resources, offering multiple economic, environmental, and strategic benefits. 
  • According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), India holds exclusive rights over the resources in its EEZ, which includes not only the seabed but also the water column above it. The following points underscore the importance of investing in deep-sea exploration:

• Oceanographic and Climate Data: Exploring the deep ocean can provide valuable insights into climate modelling, weather forecasting, and environmental research, helping India develop better climate change strategies and enhance disaster preparedness.

• Strengthening Digital Economy Infrastructure: More than 95% of global internet traffic is transmitted via undersea fiber-optic cables. By ensuring these cables are well-maintained and secure, India can not only contribute to the global digital economy but also develop greater digital infrastructure domestically.

• National Security: The deep sea has become a significant space of strategic competition. Countries like China are developing advanced technologies to disrupt undersea infrastructure, such as cable-cutting devices, posing a potential threat to global communications. India needs to invest in deep-sea monitoring systems and countermeasures to ensure its maritime security.

• Mineral and Energy Resources: The seabed holds polymetallic nodules, gas hydrates, oil, and rare-earth materials critical for India’s industrial and energy sector needs. With global demand for minerals on the rise, India’s ability to tap into these resources can secure its future energy and industrial growth.

• Fisheries and Nutraceuticals: Marine bio-resources offer economic and nutritional benefits, particularly through fisheries and marine organisms that are crucial for food security and nutraceutical development.

Hurdles in Deep Sea Exploration

• Developing deep-sea technology is fraught with technical and logistical challenges. The immense depths of India’s EEZ and the extreme environmental conditions make deep-sea exploration a daunting task.

• Pressure Resistance and Safety: The deeper the dive, the more resilient the submersible needs to be. The tragic incident involving the OceanGate Titan submersible in 2023 highlighted the critical importance of rigorous safety measures and engineering standards to prevent disasters in the extreme depths.

• Cost and Expertise: Building cutting-edge deep-sea technologies requires large financial investments, specialized research, and a highly skilled workforce. Countries like China, the US, Japan, and France have made considerable progress in these areas, putting India in a race to catch up with global developments.

• Extreme Depths and Pressure: India’s EEZ has an average depth of around 3,741 meters, almost four-and-a-half times the height of the Burj Khalifa. At such depths, the pressure exceeds 380 atmospheres, which requires specialized submersibles and materials that can withstand the enormous stress.

• Communication Underwater: Unlike air, sound in water is significantly impacted by temperature, pressure, and salinity, making communication between submersibles and surface vessels a challenge. Developing technologies like Very Low Frequency (VLF) and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) communication systems is necessary but remains both costly and complex to implement.

Way Forward

• Support Industrial Partnerships: To develop deep-sea mining technologies, submersibles, and cable-laying infrastructure, India must incentivize private sector partnerships. Encouraging collaboration between industry and government will lead to faster technological advancements and commercialization.

• Formulate a 10-Year Roadmap: India should develop a long-term plan that sets clear milestones for technological, governance, security, and infrastructure development in deep-sea exploration. This roadmap will guide the nation toward a sustainable and forward-looking strategy.

• Treat Ocean Development as a National Strategic Priority: Given the dual-use nature of deep-sea technologies, which serve both scientific and military purposes, India must treat ocean development as a national strategic priority. Cross-sector collaboration between science, defense, and industry is essential to the country’s global competitiveness.

• Create a Dedicated Ministry for Ocean Affairs: Upgrading the Department of Ocean Development to a full-fledged Ministry of Ocean Affairs, with a Cabinet-rank Minister, will provide better coordination and accountability for India’s ocean development goals.

• Boost Funding and Expedite Projects: India should approve deep-sea projects with mission-mode targets, ensuring clear deadlines, adequate budgets, and transparent review mechanisms. Expediting funding will help India make faster progress in this domain.

• Establish Centres of Excellence in Deep Ocean Science: India must focus on creating specialized academic institutions and research labs that can advance deep-sea science and technology, driving innovation, collaboration, and skill development.