What's happening with Samudra Manthan right now

The Union Cabinet approved the 'Samudra Manthan' National Offshore Exploration Scheme with a Rs 84,084 crore outlay.

Samudra Manthan aims to boost domestic oil and gas production.

The scheme is intended to reduce India's crude oil import bill and strengthen energy security.

The Union Cabinet approved an Rs 84,000-crore deep-sea oil and gas exploration scheme to boost domestic production.

The scheme aims to enhance domestic oil and gas reserves and production.

It is part of the Central government's efforts to reduce import dependence.

Union Cabinet approved Samudra Manthan, a Rs 84,084-crore national offshore exploration programme, on August 1, 2026.

The scheme aims to increase oil and gas exploration in India's offshore basins, focusing on deepwater and ultra-deepwater areas.

It includes large-scale seismic surveys, exploratory drilling, and creation of common offshore infrastructure over the next five years.

The programme is intended to reduce India's dependence on imports by boosting domestic hydrocarbon production.

The Union cabinet approved the ₹84,084-crore 'Samudra Manthan' scheme, a national offshore exploration program aimed at boosting domestic oil and gas resources.

The scheme targets reserve accretion of over 600 MMT of oil equivalent (MMToE) and aims to increase annual domestic oil and gas production from around 62 MMTOE to 80 MMTOE by March 31, 2031.

It includes four components: modern offshore seismic data acquisition (₹28,534 crore), drilling 60 deepwater exploration wells (₹43,200 crore), common offshore infrastructure hubs (₹10,000 crore), and oil and gas manufacturing and services zones (₹2,000 crore).

The initiative responds to India's crude oil import dependency rising from 78.5% in 2014-15 to 88.7% in 2025-26.

The scheme drew on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision articulated from the Red Fort, aiming to strengthen energy security and advance the Viksit Bharat vision.