Earth Sciences Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that India’s coastline must be viewed as an interconnected space of ecology, security, economy, technology and human development. The Minister said this while virtually addressing the National Conference on Coastal Ecology, Security and Sustainability 2026. He added that India’s eleven thousand to twelve thousand kilometers coastline offers significant potential for marine resources and the Blue Economy. He said that the country’s long coastline and extensive marine ecosystem offer significant opportunities. He also emphasized upon the requirement for an integrated approach combining scientific knowledge, environmental sustainability, security and economic development.

Highlighting the importance of the Deep Ocean Mission, the Minister said that India is moving towards exploring the largely unexplored resources of the deep ocean while simultaneously building indigenous capabilities. Dr Singh said that robots and submersibles are being developed to explore the depths of the ocean. He also said that the country’s progress in this area would open up new possibilities for understanding and utilising marine resources.

The Minister stressed that ocean observation, surveillance, communication, remote sensing, data and emerging technologies can play an important role in strengthening India’s preparedness for the coastal and marine environment. The Minister said that the Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar campaign will continue from 12th of this month to 19th of September, with a range of activities including clean-up drives and participation of NGOs and organisations.