Explainer: What is Modi government's 'Samudra Manthan' project
As of February 2026, the government is preparing to launch Mission Samudra Manthan and cabinet notes are under preparation; no PM announcement date is given in the source.
"Samudra Manthan," a major push to find oil and gas in India's deep seas, like the Krishna-Godavari and Mumbai Offshore regions.
The goal? Rely less on imported energy and tap into what's under our own waters.
The ambitious targets for oil and gas
The plan is to ramp up drilling—going from 30 to 100 exploratory wells a year over a period of 5 years starting from 2026-27.
They're aiming for big jumps in production: crude oil could hit 35 million metric tons by 2030 (from today's 29), with an ambitious target of 100 MMT by 2047.
Natural gas is getting a similar boost, plus there'll be bigger emergency reserves—enough for about three months.
Why it matters for India
If it works, India could reduce its import dependence over time, making the country more self-reliant (and maybe even less stressed about global supply issues).
Tech upgrades like deep-sea submersibles are part of separate, science-led efforts—the MATSYA 6000, for example, is part of the MoES Deep Ocean Mission—so it's not just about digging deeper, but also smarter.