Samudra Manthan Scheme: In a landmark step toward strengthening national energy self-reliance, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the ‘Samudra Manthan’ National Offshore Exploration Scheme with an outlay of ₹84,084 crore.
Implemented under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, this Central Sector initiative will run until FY 2030-31 to unlock untapped crude oil and natural gas reserves across India’s deepwater and ultra-deepwater basins.
The scheme translates the Prime Minister’s vision announced during his Independence Day address in 2025.
According to government announcements, the programme aims to accelerate domestic energy production, reduce heavy import dependencies, and support the broader goals of Viksit Bharat.
Breakdown of Key Outlays & Structural Components
Samudra Manthan story: Deepwater exploration entails high financial risks, where drilling a single exploratory well can cost upwards of ₹1,000 crore to ₹1,200 crore depending on seabed complexity and technical depth.
The scheme directly addresses these risk factors by subsidizing high-risk exploratory work and developing critical infrastructure.
Samudra Manthan Scheme: According to official reports, the ₹84,084 crore financial package is structured across four primary pillars:
Seismic Data Acquisition & Processing (₹28,534 Crore): Modern acquisition and interpretation of ultra-high-resolution 2D/3D seismic data across unmapped offshore regions.
Deepwater Exploratory Drilling (₹43,200 Crore): Funding the drilling of roughly 60 deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploratory wells, alongside scientific drilling in frontier basins.
Common Offshore Infrastructure (₹10,000 Crore): Development of shared evacuation pipelines, jetties, and production hubs to monetize stranded discoveries in regions like Mahanadi and Kutch.
Manufacturing & Services Zone (₹2,000 Crore): Establishment of an integrated Oil and Gas Manufacturing and Services Zone to localize rig components, maintenance, and warehousing under Make in India.
ONGC Spuds First Deepwater Well in Mahanadi Basin
What are the 4 places of Samudra Manthan? According to media reports, the mission has already transitioned from policy approval to physical execution on the ground.
On July 25, 2026, state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) officially spudded its first deepwater exploratory well (MN-DW18-1-H-D) under the Samudra Manthan campaign in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, located off the Odisha coast.
The well sits approximately 23 nautical miles from ONGC’s earlier Konark discovery. Geological data indicates that India’s eastern and western offshore EEZ areas hold an estimated potential exceeding 5,600 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent (MMTOE).
To streamline these operations, ONGC established its dedicated Deepwater Exploration Mission Centre (DeepX) in Mumbai, adopting a “One Company, One Data” platform to integrate seismic interpretation capabilities.
Economic Impact and Energy Targets
Samudra Manthan Scheme: According to Ministry projections, the Samudra Manthan scheme is designed to yield substantial long-term returns for India’s energy landscape:
Reserve Accretion: Expected to uncover more than 600 MMTOE in new hydrocarbon reserves.
Production Boost: Projected to increase annual domestic oil and gas output by 10–15 MMTOE, with peak capacities reaching up to 20 MMTOE.
Import Reduction: Helps curb crude oil import dependency, which stood near 88.7% in FY 2025-26, saving foreign exchange reserves.
Through public-private participation, cutting-edge seismic mapping, and risk-sharing frameworks, Samudra Manthan marks a decisive pivot toward securing India’s long-term energy independence.
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