India Unveils Advanced Ocean Research Vessel ORV Sagar Manthan
Launch of ORV Sagar Manthan
Photo: @moesgoi/X
New Delhi, September 9: India has officially launched the ORV Sagar Manthan, a cutting-edge ocean research vessel aimed at enhancing the country's oceanographic research and maritime capabilities, according to an official announcement made on Wednesday.
The vessel was inaugurated at the Rishi Bankim Shipyard in Kolkata, with Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Minister of Earth Sciences, and his wife Manju Singh participating virtually in the ceremony, which included the traditional naming of the ship.
Constructed by the defense public sector unit Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE), the vessel was developed for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Dr. Singh commended the team for their remarkable efficiency, noting that the launch occurred just two years after the contract was signed and only five months following the keel laying.
This advanced vessel is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including dynamic positioning systems, multibeam bathymetry, multichannel seismic systems, sub-bottom profiling, weather radar, drop keels, and facilities for deploying Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV).
Its mission will involve multidisciplinary exploration of the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges to identify multi-metal hydrothermal sulphide mineralization, establish environmental baselines, gather upper-air data, and conduct CTD profiling.
Designed to function in extreme oceanic conditions, including the Southern Ocean, the vessel is expected to have a service life of 30 years.
Dr. Singh indicated that ORV Sagar Manthan will gradually take over from the aging ORV Sagar Kanya, which has been in service for 43 years, and praised the MoES for plans to acquire additional oceanographic vessels and a Polar Research Vessel soon.
He emphasized that this vessel represents India's first advanced ocean research ship built by GRSE, showcasing the nation's commitment to self-reliance and Atmanirbharta.
According to Dr. Singh, the data collected by ORV Sagar Manthan will empower India to take a leading role in disaster prevention, implement necessary environmental measures, and significantly influence global ocean geopolitics.
Dr. T. Srinivasa Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, expressed pride in India's transition from relying on foreign research platforms to developing them domestically.
He highlighted that ocean research is crucial for addressing climate challenges, predicting tsunamis, and enhancing maritime capabilities, adding that the new ORV will conduct underway swath multibeam surveys, geophysical profiling, atmospheric observations, and water column sampling.