Indian aquanauts dive to 4,025 m and 5,002 m in the Atlantic aboard French submersible Nautile
Two Indian aquanauts from NIOT, Chennai, Raju Ramesh and Cdr (Retd) Jatinder Pal Singh, dived to 4,025 m and 5,002 m in the Atlantic Ocean on 5 and 6 August 2025 aboard IFREMER's submersible Nautile, India's deepest-ever dives.
Summary
India's deepest-ever ocean dives were completed on 5 and 6 August 2025, when two aquanauts of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, reached 4,025 m and 5,002 m in the Atlantic Ocean aboard the French submersible Nautile, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh announced. NIOT senior scientist Raju Ramesh dived to 4,025 m and Cdr (Retd) Jatinder Pal Singh to 5,002 m, in a collaborative activity with the French marine research institute IFREMER; Indian scientists had earlier dived to 3,800 m (1997, Alvin) and 2,800 m (2002, Nautile). The Minister said India has joined fewer than half a dozen nations to go so deep. The dives prepare for the Samudrayaan mission, which aims to send three aquanauts to 6,000 m in the indigenous submersible MATSYA-6000 by 2027.
Key facts
- Dates
- 5 and 6 Aug 2025, Atlantic Ocean
- Depths
- 4,025 m (Raju Ramesh) and 5,002 m (Cdr (Retd) Jatinder Pal Singh)
- Submersible
- Nautile of IFREMER (France)
- Institute
- NIOT, Chennai (Ministry of Earth Sciences)
- Earlier Indian dives
- 3,800 m (1997, Alvin) and 2,800 m (2002, Nautile)
- Next goal
- Samudrayaan: 3 aquanauts to 6,000 m in MATSYA-6000 by 2027
- MATSYA-6000 endurance
- 12 hours operational, up to 96 hours emergency
Practice MCQs 4 questions
What was the maximum depth reached by an Indian aquanaut during the Indo-French deep dives in the Atlantic in August 2025?
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Correct answer: B — 5,002 m
Cdr (Retd) Jatinder Pal Singh reached 5,002 m, while Raju Ramesh reached 4,025 m, India's deepest-ever dives.
The Indian aquanauts' record dives of August 2025 were made aboard Nautile, a submersible belonging to which institution?
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Correct answer: D — IFREMER (France)
The dives were a collaborative activity with IFREMER (France), the French marine research institute, aboard its submersible Nautile.
Consider the following statements about India's Samudrayaan mission, as described in August 2025: 1. It aims to send three aquanauts to a depth of 6,000 m in the submersible MATSYA-6000 by 2027. 2. MATSYA-6000 is being developed by the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct: Samudrayaan aims to send three aquanauts to 6,000 m in MATSYA-6000 by 2027. Statement 2 is incorrect: MATSYA-6000 is being developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Consider the following statements about MATSYA-6000: 1. It is designed for an operational endurance of 12 hours and an emergency endurance of up to 96 hours. 2. It completed wet trials at L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli, in early 2025. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct. MATSYA-6000 is designed for 12 hours of operational and up to 96 hours of emergency endurance, and completed wet trials at L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu, in January–February 2025.