The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the ‘Samudra Manthan’ National Offshore Exploration Scheme, a central sector initiative of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, with an outlay of Rs 84,084 crore to be implemented through FY2030-31.
The scheme aims to accelerate offshore oil and gas exploration, strengthen India’s energy security, enhance domestic production and promote technological innovation in the upstream energy sector.
According to the government, the initiative reflects the Prime Minister’s vision of a modern-day “Samudra Manthan”, articulated during his Independence Day address in 2025, to unlock India’s offshore energy potential and advance the goal of Viksit Bharat.
The scheme covers the entire offshore exploration value chain and includes large-scale acquisition, processing and interpretation of high-quality seismic data, accelerated deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploratory drilling, scientific drilling in frontier basins, development of common offshore production and evacuation infrastructure, and the establishment of an integrated Oil and Gas Manufacturing and Services Zone.
It also provides for digital programme management, capacity building, technology adoption, stakeholder engagement and international outreach to create an integrated ecosystem for offshore exploration and production.
The government expects the scheme to facilitate reserve accretion of more than 600 Million Metric Tonnes of Oil Equivalent (MMTOE), significantly expand offshore exploration activities and increase domestic crude oil and natural gas production.
According to the official statement, the initiative is also expected to generate large-scale employment, strengthen indigenous manufacturing under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat programmes, and foster a globally competitive ecosystem for offshore technologies and services. The scheme is projected to attract substantial investments across the exploration and production value chain, creating long-term opportunities for industry, innovation and economic growth.
The government said the approval builds on a series of upstream sector reforms undertaken over the past decade, including opening nearly the entire offshore acreage for exploration, modernising the legislative and contractual framework, and strengthening the National Data Repository.
“Building on these reforms, Samudra Manthan will usher in a new era of accelerated offshore exploration through strategic public investment, cutting-edge technologies and world-class infrastructure” the statement said.
