India has launched ORV Sagar Manthan, an indigenous ocean research vessel built for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The ship entered the water at Rishi Bankim Shipyard in Kolkata on September 9, 2026, after being designed and constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers. The launch was confirmed by the Press Information Bureau’s official release.
The ₹840-crore vessel is being developed under the Deep Ocean Mission and is due for final delivery in 2028. Once commissioned, it is expected to support seabed mapping, mineral surveys, climate observations, biodiversity work, and deployment of underwater vehicles.
Key Highlights
- Sagar Manthan was launched in Kolkata on September 9, 2026.
- GRSE is building the vessel for NCPOR under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- The project costs about ₹840 crore and falls under Deep Ocean Mission Vertical-4.
- The ship can support ROVs, AUVs, seismic surveys, multibeam mapping and water-column studies.
- Delivery to NCPOR is scheduled for 2028 after integration and sea trials.
What Makes Sagar Manthan Different From India’s Older Research Ships?
Sagar Manthan is intended to gradually replace ORV Sagar Kanya, which India acquired from Germany in 1983. The new ship is not simply another research platform bought from overseas. It has been designed, engineered, and built in India.
According to the Press Information Bureau, the vessel is an all-weather, multidisciplinary platform with a projected service life of 30 years. Its equipment includes dynamic positioning, multibeam bathymetry, multichannel seismic systems, sub-bottom profiling, weather radar and drop keels. It can also deploy Remotely Operated Vehicles and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences says the vessel can work in demanding areas, including the Southern Ocean. NCPOR’s launch update says it will support seafloor mapping, geological and geophysical investigations, marine mineral exploration, biodiversity assessment and underwater technology development.
How Could Sagar Manthan Support India’s Deep Ocean Mission?
The clearest link is Deep Ocean Mission Vertical-4, which focuses on deep-ocean survey and exploration. Sagar Manthan can provide the ship-based base required to carry instruments, researchers, and underwater systems into survey zones.
That could help India search Indian Ocean mid-ocean ridges for multi-metal hydrothermal sulphide mineralisation, establish environmental baselines and collect atmospheric and water-column data. Researchers need a vessel that can hold position accurately, launch equipment and collect data over large areas.
The wider mission is already active across six verticals. In February 2026, the government said India had identified two active and two inactive hydrothermal vents through AUV surveys, while 25 seamounts had been surveyed for biodiversity. The same Deep Ocean Mission update submitted to Parliament recorded 1,845 isolated deep-sea microbes and 195 documented deep-sea species, including 39 potential new taxa.
Where Does MATSYA 6000 Fit Into The Picture?
Sagar Manthan should not be confused with MATSYA 6000. The two are different parts of India’s deep-sea programme.
MATSYA 6000 is the human submersible being developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology to carry three aquanauts to depths of up to 6,000 metres. Its design and system engineering have been completed, and wet tests were carried out at Kattupalli near Chennai in early 2025.
A research vessel can support operations around submersibles, AUVs, ROVs and scientific sensors. Sagar Manthan could therefore become part of the surface infrastructure needed for repeated deep-ocean research from Indian platforms.
Official Social Update
The Ministry of Earth Sciences also highlighted Sagar Manthan on its official X account, linking the vessel with the Deep Ocean Mission, Blue Economy and India’s push for indigenous ocean science capability.
What Happens Before Sagar Manthan Starts Scientific Operations?
The September launch did not mean the vessel was ready for expeditions immediately. NCPOR says superstructure erection, system integration and extensive sea trials will follow before delivery in 2028.
That leaves a crucial testing phase ahead. Once commissioned, the vessel could reduce dependence on external research platforms and give India more flexibility in planning surveys across the Indian Ocean and farther south.
It also arrives as deep-sea research moves closer to India’s technology and resource agenda. One day before the launch, the Ministry of Earth Sciences and NIOT held an industry outreach workshop on deep-sea mining and critical mineral technologies. Sagar Manthan therefore joins a programme linking vessel building, underwater robotics, mineral exploration, biodiversity studies and ocean observation.
FAQs
When was Sagar Manthan launched?
Sagar Manthan was launched at Kolkata’s Rishi Bankim Shipyard on September 9, 2026, by India.
Who is building Sagar Manthan?
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers is building Sagar Manthan for NCPOR under the Earth Sciences Ministry.
How much does Sagar Manthan cost?
The indigenous ocean research vessel is being developed at an approximate cost of ₹840 crore.
When will Sagar Manthan become operational?
The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2028 after integration work, testing and sea trials.
How does Sagar Manthan help the Deep Ocean Mission?
It provides a research platform for mapping, mineral surveys, ocean observations and underwater vehicle deployment.
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