Historic Milestone: Rs 840-Cr ORV Launched, to Drive Indigenous Maritime Research
ORV Sagar Manthan is engineered to operate in extreme oceanic environments, including the Southern Ocean, with a projected service life of 30 years
Sept 9, 2026 - Marking a historic milestone in India’s journey toward self-reliance in oceanographic science and maritime technology, the state-of-the-art Ocean Research Vessel (Yard 3041), officially named ORV Sagar Manthan, was officially launched today, September 9, at the Rishi Bankim Shipyard, Kolkata, by Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of Earth Sciences (through virtual presence).
The vessel has been designed, engineered and constructed by the Defence Public Sector Undertaking Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Dr Singh termed the occasion as a "red letter day" for NCPOR, the Ministry, and the Nation. He praised the team for achieving the launch within just two years of contract signing and barely five months after keel laying, hailing it as an exceptional display of efficiency.
The Minister said that the feature-rich ORV Sagar Manthan will gradually replace the iconic 43-year-old ORV Sagar Kanya (procured from Germany in 1983), commending MoES plans to acquire more oceanographic vessels and a Polar Research Vessel in the near future.
Highlighting the strategic and scientific necessity of the vessel, Dr Singh said: "This fine ship is India’s first advanced Ocean Research Vessel built by GRSE, displaying the required thrust towards Atmanirbharta and self-reliance that Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji has been laying so much stress on."
Constructed under Vertical-4 (Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration) of the government's flagship Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) at an approximate cost of Rs 840 crore, ORV Sagar Manthan is an all-weather, multi-disciplinary platform. It is engineered to operate in extreme oceanic environments, including the Southern Ocean, with a projected service life of 30 years.
Following its launch, superstructure erection, system integration and extensive sea trials will proceed before its final delivery for commissioning to NCPOR/MoES, which is scheduled for 2028.
