India Launches Advanced Ocean Research Vessel Sagar Manthan

Key facts

• India launched its first indigenously built Ocean Research Vessel, ORV Sagar Manthan, on 9 September 2026 at the Rishi Bankim Shipyard in Kolkata.
• The vessel was constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Built under the Deep Ocean Mission's Vertical-4 at an approximate cost of Rs 840 crore, the vessel is 89.50 metres long, 18.80 metres wide, has a gross tonnage of 5,900 tonnes and a speed of 14 knots.
• The ORV features dynamic positioning, multibeam bathymetry, multichannel seismic systems, sub-bottom profiling, weather radar, drop keels, and deployment facilities for Remotely Operated Vehicles and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.
• The vessel can conduct geophysical seismic surveys in coastal seas and deep waters up to a maximum depth of six kilometres, can operate in extreme environments including the Southern Ocean, and has a projected service life of 30 years.
• ORV Sagar Manthan will succeed the 43-year-old ORV Sagar Kanya, acquired from Germany in 1983, and is scheduled for delivery in 2028 to support Deep Ocean Mission survey and exploration activities.