India's deep-ocean human scientific submersible MATSYA-6000 completed its unmanned trials at the L&T Shipyard in Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu, on Friday, November 6, marking a vital step forward for the nation's flagship Samudrayaan Project, IANS reported.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

The trial was conducted in the presence of Srinivasa Kumar Tummala, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), alongside G. A. Ramadass, Director of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). The MoES Secretary assessed the flotation, submerged stability, ballast systems and various subcomponents of the vehicle, and MATSYA-6000 completed the evaluations strictly in accordance with the prescribed test protocol, clearing the path for its next phase of advanced testing.

Source: Ministry of Earth Sciences (official post)

6,000 mDepth MATSYA-6000 is designed to reach
3Crew the submersible is built to carry
2.1 mDiameter of its spherical crew hull
4th generationIndia's human submersible class

Built in India for the deep ocean

Designed and indigenously developed by NIOT, MATSYA-6000 is India's fourth-generation human submersible, engineered to carry three crew members inside a compact 2.1-metre diameter spherical hull. Under the Samudrayaan Project, the vessel is designed to plunge to depths of up to 6,000 metres, enabling researchers to explore deep-sea mineral resources and marine biodiversity.

The submersible was originally transported to the Kattupalli facility in 2025 to undergo wet tests and demonstrate operational functionality. Friday's successful unmanned trials move the programme a step closer to the advanced testing phases that must precede any crewed descent.