India will search for rare minerals and metals in the deep Indian Ocean, research ship will be built in 36 months

It is for constructing a ship to explore rare minerals and metals in the depths of the Indian Ocean as per an agreement between Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, a defense public sector undertaking, and a Goa-based government institution. Measuring 89.5 meters in length, it will be the biggest research vessel for deep-sea exploration ever built in any Indian shipyard.

Officials have said that according to a spokesperson of the National Center for Polar and Ocean Research, Goa, the ship would be deployed for deep-sea scientific surveys with the objective of collecting samples. The vessel is able to work in all weather conditions and can accommodate 34 scientists at any time for the Ministry of Earth Sciences' deep-sea expedition.

It is likely to work for India for the next 30 years. The contracted value of the ship, to be built by Kolkata-based GRSE in 36 months, is Rs 839.55 crore. It states that it will 'discover rare minerals and metals in the deep sea as part of India's deep-sea expedition.'

GRSE and NCPOR officials in Goa signed the agreement on Tuesday. This modern research ship will be built by GRSE under the government's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative. It will be equipped with modern laboratories, scientific equipment and facilities. GRSE handed over INS Sandhyak to the Indian Navy in December 2023, which is the largest survey ship built in the country. Three more ships of this class are at various stages of construction at the shipyard.