• ¨     Samudra Manthan is the National Offshore Exploration Scheme under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

    ¨     The Union Cabinet approved the scheme on 31 July 2026 as a Central Sector Scheme up to FY 2030-31.

    ¨     Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an allocation of ₹85,000 crore for the scheme during the 80th Independence Day address on 15 August 2026 from the Red Fort, New Delhi.

    ¨ The approved Phase-I outlay of the scheme is ₹84,084 crore, while the Independence Day announcement cited ₹85,000 crore for accelerated implementation.

    ¨     The scheme focuses on high-quality seismic mapping of offshore areas.

    ¨     It includes exploratory drilling in deepwater and ultra-deepwater areas.

    ¨     Scientific drilling in frontier basins is also included under the scheme.

    ¨     The scheme provides for the development of shared offshore infrastructure.

    ¨     It also proposes an integrated Oil & Gas Manufacturing and Services Zone.

    ¨     India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers approximately 23.6 lakh square kilometres.

    ¨     The restricted offshore ‘no-go’ area was earlier around 13.67 lakh square kilometres.

    ¨     This restricted area has been reduced to approximately 24,832 square kilometres, making around 99% of India’s coastal waters available for exploration.

    ¨     India imports around 88.5% of its crude oil requirement.

    ¨     India also imports around half of its natural gas requirement.

    ¨     The scheme aims to increase domestic oil and gas production and strengthen India’s energy security.

    ¨     It is expected to contribute to the accretion of more than 600 Million Metric Tons of Oil Equivalent (MMTOE) in reserves.

    ¨     Oil Equivalent is a unit used to compare different forms of energy on a common basis.