<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/in-submarine_0.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273" srcset="https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/in-submarine_0.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273 400w, https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/in-submarine_0.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551 800w" > Representational photo: A naval submarine in the waters off Visakhapatnam (Photo: A.SARATH KUMAR/ TOI, BCCL Visakhapatnam)

After sending Chandrayaan 2 to the South Pole of the Moon, India's next exploration mission will take it to the depths of the ocean, and that too, as early as October this year.

A senior official told media on Saturday that the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) hopes to kick off the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) by October 31. The mission is unofficially estimated to cost around Rs 8000-Rs 10,000 crore over a five-year period. It will focus on undersea mining, surveys, energy exploration, and offshore desalination in a 75000-square kilometre expanse of the Central Indian Ocean Basin. The DOM will use underwater robotics and manned submersibles for the mission.

M Rajeevan, secretary, MoES said that the Ministry of Finance has cleared the DOM project. Details on finances will be circulated by next week, he added.

“The government is focusing on 'blue economy' in terms of sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth. The Mission will help in leveraging the blue economy for the country’s overall economic growth,” he told the Press at an event to mark the foundation day of the MoES.

The International Seabed Authority has allotted 75,000 square kilometres in the Central Indian Ocean Basin to India. The region is located about 2000 km from the southernmost tip of the country. The CIOB potentially contains 380 million tonnes of polymetallic nodules (metal-rich lumps) that include 4.7 million tonnes of nickel, 4.29 million tonnes of copper, 0.55 million tonnes of cobalt and 92.59 million tonnes of manganese.