New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved Samudra Manthan, the National Offshore Exploration Scheme, with an approved outlay of ₹84,084 crore for implementation up to FY 2030–31.
The Samudra Manthan scheme is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas aimed at strengthening India’s offshore energy exploration, boosting domestic production, and enhancing long-term energy security.
The scheme translates the Prime Minister’s vision, articulated from the Red Fort on Independence Day 2025, of a modern-day Samudra Manthan to unlock India’s vast offshore energy potential.
It marks a significant step towards strengthening the country’s energy security, accelerating domestic exploration and production, promoting technological leadership, and advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat.
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The Samudra Manthan scheme encompasses a comprehensive set of interventions across the offshore exploration value chain.
It provides for 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 establishment of an integrated Oil & Gas Manufacturing and Services Zone.
In addition, Samudra Manthan includes dedicated provisions for digital programme management, capacity building, technology adoption, stakeholder engagement, and international outreach.
These measures are intended to create an integrated ecosystem that accelerates offshore exploration and production across the country.
The government said Samudra Manthan is expected to catalyse reserve accretion of more than 600 Million Metric Tons of Oil Equivalent (MMTOE).
The scheme is also projected to substantially increase offshore exploration activities, promote higher domestic oil and gas production, 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.
According to the government, Samudra Manthan is also expected to stimulate significant investments across the exploration and production value chain, creating long-term opportunities for industry, innovation, and economic growth.
As India progresses towards becoming a developed nation, the government said Samudra Manthan represents 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.
The government highlighted that over the past decade, it has undertaken transformative reforms across the upstream sector, including opening almost the entire offshore acreage for exploration, modernising the legislative and contractual framework, and strengthening the National Data Repository.
Building on these reforms, the government said Samudra Manthan will usher in a new era of accelerated offshore exploration through strategic public investment, cutting-edge technologies, and world-class infrastructure.
