NEW DELHI, 31 October 2021, (TON): A top official said that India is all set to build its first deep sea, hi-tech research vessel at a cost of about Rs. 1,200 crore for purposes including exploration and it would also be used for efforts aimed at securing for the nation its rightful additional continental shelf.

It is the first time that such a deep sea vessel, with advanced capabilities like a feature to send seismic signals into deep ocean depths would be built in India.

He said “the new ship, under the Make in India initiative and the Deep Ocean Mission, is expected to be completed by three years from the date of placing the order.”

The ship building yard is yet to be finalised but it is expected to be done by next March, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, M Ravichandran said on board ORV (Ocean Research Vessel) Sagar Nidhi.

Union Minister of State, Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh on Saturday sailed in Sagar Nidhi from Chennai Port and interacted with scientists on various projects. On Friday, he launched India's first manned ocean mission 'Samudrayan.'