India and Indian Ocean: The Next Frontier

India is growing exponentially in multiple directions. But, whenever we think about development missions or security advancements, we often relate them to technology, land, or even space. However, in the time to come, India is expanding on another horizon – the Indian Ocean.

Today, Indian Ocean stands as one of the most strategic geopolitical spaces for India. During the Israel-Iran conflict, one of the most decisive factors was the Strait of Hormuz and this one war demonstrated how important water bodies are for security and development for a nation. During operation Sindoor, we came across various weapons that have changed game for India, but there are developments happening in the deep ocean that we often do not talk about.

With ocean day, it is imperative to talk about such ambitious marine programmes that are equivalent to space programmes of India.

The Indian Ocean plays a critical role in India’s economy, climate, and national security. It influences the monsoon, supports fisheries, powers maritime trade routes, and contains vast natural resources beneath its surface. Yet much of the ocean remains unexplored.

Scientists believe the seabed holds critical minerals such as manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt, all of which are essential for batteries, renewable energy technologies, and electric vehicles. At the same time, the Indian ocean contains ecosystems unlike anything found on land, with species that have adapted to survive under immense pressure, complete darkness, and extreme temperatures. Understanding these environments could help India find new scientific discoveries while securing resources for the future.

Recognising this potential, the Government of India launched an ambitious programme to explore, study, and responsibly utilise the deep Indian ocean.

In 2021, the Government of India launched the Deep Ocean Mission with an initial outlay of approximately Rs. 4,000 crore. Led by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the mission aims to explore the deep ocean, develop indigenous technologies, study marine ecosystems, and strengthen India’s Blue Economy.

The programme brings together several leading scientific institutions, including the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), and the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR).

While the mission covers a wide range of activities, one project has captured the imagination of scientists and the public alike. It’s called Samudrayaan.

For decades, only a handful of countries possessed the technology required to send humans thousands of metres beneath the ocean’s surface. India wants to join that list.

Under the Samudrayaan programme, Indian scientists have developed Matsya 6000, the country’s first indigenous manned deep-sea submersible. Designed to carry three aquanauts to depths of up to 6,000 metres, the vehicle represents a major technological milestone.

To put that depth into perspective, six kilometres underwater is far deeper than the height of most mountains above sea level. At those depths, the pressure can exceed 600 times the atmospheric pressure experienced at the Earth’s surface. Engineers have spent years testing the submersible through wet trials, shallow-water demonstrations, and progressively deeper missions. Recent trials have successfully demonstrated key systems, bringing India closer to full-fledged manned deep-sea exploration.

Once operational, Matsya 6000 will allow scientists to directly observe and study some of the least explored regions of the Indian Ocean.

One of the major reasons countries are investing in deep-sea exploration is the growing demand for critical minerals.

Scattered across parts of the ocean floor are potato-shaped deposits known as polymetallic nodules. These nodules contain valuable metals such as manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt, which are essential for batteries, renewable energy infrastructure, and modern electronics.

India holds exploration rights over a vast area in the Central Indian Ocean Basin through agreements with the International Seabed Authority. Scientists estimate that these regions contain hundreds of millions of tonnes of mineral-rich nodules.

Beyond nodules, researchers are also studying hydrothermal sulphide deposits and cobalt-rich crusts that form around underwater volcanic systems and seamounts.

However, extracting these resources presents significant technological and environmental challenges. For this reason, India is simultaneously developing deep-sea mining technologies while conducting environmental assessments to understand the potential impact on marine ecosystems.

The deep ocean is not an empty wasteland. It is one of the most unusual environments on Earth.

Near hydrothermal vents, superheated mineral-rich water gushes from cracks in the seabed, creating ecosystems that thrive without sunlight. Instead of relying on photosynthesis, many organisms depend on chemical energy released from the Earth’s interior. Scientists continue to discover new species in these environments, many of which exist nowhere else on the planet.

As part of the Deep Ocean Mission, Indian researchers are cataloguing deep-sea biodiversity, building genetic repositories, and studying organisms that may hold clues for medicine, biotechnology, and environmental science.

In 2024, Indian researchers captured some of the first images of active hydrothermal vent systems in parts of the Central Indian Ocean, opening new opportunities for scientific research.

Before scientists can explore or protect the Indian ocean, they first need to understand what lies beneath.

That is why a significant part of India’s ocean mission focuses on mapping the seabed.

Research vessels equipped with advanced sonar systems, remotely operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, and deep-sea sensors are helping scientists create detailed maps of underwater terrain. These surveys reveal underwater mountains, ridges, trenches, volcanic formations, and mineral-rich regions that were previously unknown.

Indian expeditions regularly study areas such as the Central Indian Ridge and the Southwest Indian Ridge, gathering crucial geological, biological, and environmental data. Each expedition helps fill gaps in our understanding of one of the least explored parts of the planet.

The ocean influences nearly every aspect of India’s climate.

It drives monsoon systems, absorbs vast amounts of heat, regulates atmospheric circulation, and plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle.

Recognizing this, India has developed extensive ocean observation networks that include buoys, underwater gliders, sensors, and research stations. These systems continuously collect data on ocean temperatures, currents, salinity, and other variables.

Scientists use this information to improve forecasts for monsoons, cyclones, sea-level rise, and climate change.

The Deep Ocean Mission supports these efforts through programmes focused on ocean-climate interactions and long-term environmental monitoring.

Exploration is not the only goal. As scientists learn more about the ocean, they are also working to protect it.

Initiatives such as MISHTI, the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes, support large-scale mangrove restoration along India’s coastline. Mangroves protect coastal communities from storms, support fisheries, store carbon, and provide critical habitat for wildlife. Researchers are also monitoring coral reefs, seagrass meadows, estuaries, and other marine ecosystems that face increasing pressure from climate change and human activity. This balance between exploration and conservation remains one of the central challenges of modern ocean science.

All of these projects contribute to a larger national goal: building a sustainable Blue Economy.

The idea is simple. Oceans should not only be protected but also used responsibly to support economic growth, scientific innovation, energy security, and climate resilience.

For India, the Indian ocean offers opportunities to develop new technologies, secure access to critical minerals, strengthen scientific capabilities, and improve our understanding of climate systems.

At the same time, it raises important questions about environmental protection and the long-term impact of human activity in fragile deep-sea ecosystems. Finding the right balance will shape the future of India’s ocean strategy.

For centuries, explorers crossed oceans to discover new lands. Today, the greatest discoveries may lie beneath those same waters.

Thousands of metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean, scientists are uncovering new ecosystems, mapping unknown landscapes, studying climate processes, and developing technologies that were once the stuff of science fiction.

The Indian ocean remains one of the last great frontiers on Earth. And for India, the journey has only just begun.