India, July 31 -- The Union Cabinet has approved 'Samudra Manthan', the National Offshore Exploration Scheme, a Central Sector initiative of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, with a total outlay of Rs.84,084 crore for implementation through FY 2030-31.

According to an official government statement, the scheme translates Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, articulated during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort in 2025, of a modern-day Samudra Manthan to unlock India's vast offshore energy potential.

The scheme comprises a comprehensive set of interventions across the offshore exploration value chain. It includes large-scale acquisition, processing and interpretation of high-quality seismic data, accelerated explora...