Samudra Manthan to drive deepwater drilling, generate jobs, and power India's Viksit Bharat push

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved "Samudra Manthan" — the National Offshore Exploration Scheme — a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, with an approved outlay of Rs. 84,084 crore for implementation up to FY 2030–31.

The scheme brings to life the Prime Minister's vision, first articulated from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day 2025, of a modern-day "Samudra Manthan" aimed at unlocking India's vast offshore energy potential. It marks a landmark step towards strengthening the country's energy security, accelerating domestic exploration and production, promoting technological leadership, and advancing the broader vision of Viksit Bharat.

Key Components of the Scheme

Samudra Manthan encompasses a comprehensive set of interventions spanning the entire offshore exploration value chain. It provides for: The scheme provides for large-scale acquisition, processing and interpretation of high-quality seismic data, along with accelerated deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploratory drilling. It also includes scientific drilling in frontier basins, the development of common offshore production and evacuation infrastructure, and the establishment of an integrated Oil & Gas Manufacturing and Services Zone.

The scheme also includes dedicated provisions for digital programme management, capacity building, technology adoption, stakeholder engagement, and international outreach — creating an integrated ecosystem to accelerate offshore exploration and production across the country.

Expected Outcomes

Officials expect Samudra Manthan to catalyse reserve accretion of over 600 Million Metric Tons of Oil Equivalent (MMTOE), while substantially increasing offshore exploration activity and boosting domestic oil and gas production.

The scheme is also projected to generate large-scale employment, strengthen indigenous manufacturing under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, and foster a globally competitive ecosystem for offshore technologies and services. It is further expected to stimulate significant investment across the exploration and production value chain, opening up long-term opportunities for industry, innovation, and economic growth.

A Transformational National Initiative

As India moves towards becoming a developed nation, officials described Samudra Manthan as a transformational national initiative that will unlock the country's offshore energy resources, strengthen long-term energy security, deepen technological capabilities, and create enduring value for the economy and future generations.

Building on a Decade of Reforms

Over the past decade, the Government has carried out a series of transformative reforms across the upstream sector — including opening up almost the entire offshore acreage for exploration, modernising the legislative and contractual framework, and strengthening the National Data Repository.

Building on these reforms, Samudra Manthan is expected to usher in a new era of accelerated offshore exploration, driven by strategic public investment, cutting-edge technologies, and world-class infrastructure.