India moves towards energy self-reliance with deep water exploration mission

On August 15, during his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the National Deep Water Exploration Mission, aimed at exploring oil and gas reserves beneath the seabed.

“We want to conduct comprehensive work on exploring oil and gas reserves under the seabed. Therefore, India is going to launch a national mission to explore deep-water deposits. This is an important announcement on the path to energy independence,” Modi said, according to foreign media.

India has already begun actively searching for oil and gas in offshore areas, as highlighted by the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri. Indian companies ONGC and Oil India have initiated an ambitious geological exploration campaign in the Andaman deepwater region, where drilling is being carried out at unprecedented depths of up to 5,000 meters. Early exploration wells have yielded promising geological results.

Prime Minister Modi emphasized, “We are now also heading towards ‘Samudra Manthan.’ Taking this forward, we aim to operate in Mission Mode to explore the oil and gas reserves in the sea. So, India is about to launch the National Deep Water Exploration Mission.”

Earlier this year, in February, the Ministry of Earth Sciences noted that deep-sea exploration would not only advance oil and gas research but also cover biodiversity, surveys, and mineral resources.

The mission is expected to have additional benefits, including scientific research, technological empowerment, underwater engineering innovations, asset inspection, and the promotion of ocean literacy.

By Tamilla Hasanova