Will send manned sub up to 6-km depth: Minister
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday said that India was preparing for human spaceflight and deep-sea exploration.
He said while an Indian astronaut would venture into outer space, India would also send a human-occupied submersible to depths of up to 6,000 metres, marking a historic dual achievement in 2027.
“One going in outer space and one going deep sea. 2026 will be the final rehearsal year for both of these expeditions. This year we would also be preparing ourselves to engage ourselves into another ambitious area- ocean energy. Like nuclear energy contributing 10 per cent by 2047, we will have clean energy sources of ocean resources which would be solar panels, ocean winds. We have a vast ocean,” the minister said.
He underscored that India’s reform express is being driven by science, technology, and innovation, with technology acting as the central force behind governance, administration, and economic transformation. The minister said the country’s future growth over the next two decades will be led by innovation-driven sectors such as Space, oceans, biotechnology, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing.
A major highlight of 2025, Singh said, was the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund of Rs 1 lakh crore, under which the government is directly supporting private sector R&D, an unprecedented step globally.
