Deep Ocean mission  The study of the ocean in India has begun when the Government sponsored the program on polymetallic nodules (PMN) initiated at CSIR-NIO with the collection of the first nodule sample from Arabian sea on board the first research vessel Gaveshani on 26 January 1981. India was the first country in the world to have been given the pioneer Area for exploration of deep sea mineral viz polymetallic nodules in the central Indian ocean Basin in 1987 .This was based on the extensive survey carried out by the scientists of CSIR-NIO on several research ships leading to the allocation of an area of to the country with exclusive right under the UN law of the sea. Exclusive Economic zones are boundaries prescribed by the United nations Convention on the law of the sea which give the rights to a state regarding the exploration and use of marine resources. India has an Exclusive Economic zone allocated which is unexplored and unutilised. Beside India has been allocated a site of in Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the United Nation's International Seabed Authority (ISA) for the exploitation of polymetallic nodules (PMN) which is an amalgamation of iron and manganese hydroxide. It has been estimated that 380 million metric tonnes of PMN are available at the bottom of the seas in the Central Indian Ocean. It is estimated that 10% of recovery of that can meet India's energy requirement for next 100 years. The centre has drawn up a five-year plan with a cost of ₹8000 crore to mining, researching and studying about the ocean floor that can help in forming solid decision on climate change and develop a desalination plant, powered by tidal energy and a submersible vehicle that can explore depths of at least . Indian Space Research Organisation developed the design of a Submersible Capsule capable of travelling 6,000 m deep for the mission. The development was announced on the sidelines of the silver jubilee celebrations of the National Institute of Ocean Technology.