[Answered] What is India’s deep ocean mission. How it is significant for Indian economy?

Deep Ocean mission is the Government of India’s mission to study the various aspects of ocean in an integrated frame work. The focus of the mission will be on deep-sea mining, ocean climate change, underwater vehicles and underwater robotics related technologies. Two key projects are planned in the ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ report include a desalination plant powered by tidal energy and a submersible vehicle that can explore depths of at least 6,000 metres.

Significance of the Mission for Indian economy:

1. Capabilities development: The ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ plan will enable India to develop capabilities to exploit resources in the Indian Ocean Basin. IOB reserves contain deposits of metals like iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt.
2. Minerals: Indian Ocean contain vast amount of minerals, including the cobalt, zinc, manganese and rare earth materials. These minerals are needed for electronic industry to make smart phones, laptops and car components etc. This can help Make in India initiative.
3. Energy resources: The main energy resources present in Indian Ocean are petroleum and gas hydrates. Petroleum products mainly includes the oil produced from offshore regions. Gas hydrates  are unusually compact chemical structures made of water and natural gas. Deep ocean mission along with these resources would help in exploiting tidal energy and resources.
4. Manganese Nodules and Crusts: Manganese nodules contain significant concentrations of manganese, iron and copper, nickel, and cobalt all of which have a numerous economic uses.
5. Sustainable development: Marine resources from Indian Ocean would serve as the backbone of India’s economic growth and can help India to become a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2022. Blue economy, through sustainable use of oceans, has great potential for boosting the economic growth.
6. Employment generation: It will provide jobs, improved livelihoods to many. This will help in inclusive growth.
7. Climate Change: It will help in study Impact of climate change on ocean. This would help India to prepare for any disaster due to climate change. Also, Oceans provide an alternate and more cleaner source of energy. It also act as an important carbon sink. This will help in mitigating climate change.
8. Disaster preparedness: Information from deep-ocean exploration can help predict earthquakes and tsunamis.
9. Nation’s Security: It will play a significant role in the security of the nation as many critical military technologies rely heavily on rare earth elements which are abundant in Ocean.
10. Technological advancements: It can also help us in innovating technologies from underwater vehicles to underwater robotics.
11. Health industry: Unlocking the mysteries of deep-sea ecosystems can reveal new sources for medical drugs, food, and other products.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14), calls to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Thus deep ocean mission is a right step in this direction.