India will begin manned deep-sea trials next year as NIOT scientists pilot the indigenous Matsya-6000 submersible to 500 metres. The Samudrayaan project aims for a 6,000-metre dive by 2027, positioning India among a select group of deep-ocean exploration nations

Chennai: Two scientists from a top ocean institute will pilot a 28-tonne indigenously built manned submersible up to 500 metres deep off the Chennai coast early next year, marking India’s entry into the coveted group of select countries with such capabilities.

India’s own aquanauts – Ramesh Raju and Jatinder Pal Singh – from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) will pilot the Matsya-6000 to unravel the mysteries of the ocean as part of India’s Deep Ocean Mission.

“We have explored the ocean bed at greater depths us

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