India’s Deep Ocean Mission Reaches New Depth: Record-Setting 5,002 m Human Dive
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India has achieved a historic feat in its deep-sea exploration programme, the Deep Ocean Mission, by completing its deepest-ever human dive. From August 5 to 6, 2025, two Indian aquanauts reached depths of 4,025 m and a record-breaking 5,002 m aboard the French submersible Nautile in the North Atlantic Ocean—a first for the nation.
This expedition, an Indo–French collaboration, allowed Indian scientists to gain invaluable hands-on experience with deep-diving operations, from piloting and buoyancy control to manipulator tasks and acoustic communication.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Earth Sciences, lauded the achievement as a rare “double conquest”—highlighting that, almost concurrently, an Indian astronaut reached the International Space Station. This symbolic synchronicity underscores India’s advancing capabilities in exploring both the ocean’s depths and outer space.
These dives are a critical preparatory step toward Samudrayaan, India’s indigenous manned deep-sea mission. The goal: by 2027, deploy the Matsya 6000, a domestic submersible capable of plunging 6,000 m with a three-person crew.
With this feat, India joins the elite club of nations capable of conducting such deep-sea human dives—fewer than half a dozen globally. It also marks a significant push toward tapping the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf for resources, marine research, and deep-sea mining.
This achievement not only expands India’s exploratory frontiers but also reinforces its ambition to build scientific resilience and leadership in the emerging blue economy.
