Chennai— India is set to enter an elite global league next year as two scientists from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) prepare to pilot the country’s first indigenously built manned submersible to a depth of 500 metres off the Chennai coast. The mission marks a major milestone under India’s Deep Ocean Mission and brings the country closer to exploring the deep sea with human presence.
Aquanauts Ramesh Raju and Jatinder Pal Singh will lead the maiden trial of the 28-tonne Matsya-6000, a prototype designed for future dives up to 6,000 metres. NIOT Director Balaji Ramakrishnan said the upcoming mission places top priority on safety, as this will be the first time Indian scientists physically travel into the deep ocean.
The Samudrayaan project, driven by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, showcases India’s move toward technological self-reliance. After global tenders for a manned deep-sea vehicle failed due to technology denials, Indian agencies including DRDO, CSIR, and ISRO joined forces to develop the vessel domestically.
Ramakrishnan said the project gained momentum once teams realised the expertise required for high-pressure deep sea operations already existed across Indian research institutions. He added that human presence in deep-sea exploration unlocks far greater possibilities than remote systems, a sentiment echoed by Sathia Narayanan, Project Director of Samudrayaan, who noted that no camera can match the perception and decision-making ability of the human eye under water.
Only a handful of countries—such as the US, Russia, China, Japan, and France—have the capability to send crews to extreme ocean depths. With Matsya-6000, India is set to join this select group. The mission also aligns with the government’s push for a strong blue economy, supported by India’s 11,098 km coastline.
At the NIOT campus in Chennai, the Matsya-6000 continues to take shape. The current steel personnel sphere will be used for the 500-metre trial, but for the ambitious 6,000-metre dive targeted for 2027, a titanium sphere is being fabricated at ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre in Bengaluru. The titanium shell, welded using a specialised electron beam facility, will withstand the massive pressure of nearly 600 bars at that depth.
The submersible will operate autonomously, descending at 30 metres per minute and equipped with portholes, external lights, robotic arms, and cameras for sample collection and navigation. Every critical component is being certified by DNV, a global assurance and risk management body, ensuring maximum safety under extreme conditions. According to Sethuraman Ramesh, Group Head of Deep Sea Technology at NIOT, the certified systems will make Matsya-6000 among the safest deep-sea vessels worldwide.
Earlier this year, the two Indian aquanauts trained aboard the French submersible Nautile, descending to 5,000 metres. Their first-hand experience is now helping refine the design and operational protocols for Matsya-6000 as India prepares for a historic leap into deep-sea human exploration.
