Samudra Manthan: India's Offshore Oil Push Targets Energy Security

India wants to find more oil and gas under the sea so it doesn't have to buy so much from other countries.

Right now, India buys almost 9 out of every 10 barrels of the oil it needs from other countries.

The government has started a big project called Samudra Manthan, which means "churning of the ocean."

The project will spend about Rs 84,084 crore to explore for oil and gas deep under the sea.

It will give companies better maps of the sea floor and help pay for the expensive drilling.

One deepwater well can cost up to $150 million, so the government will share some of that cost.

The plan focuses on areas like the Krishna-Godavari and Andaman regions in India's ocean waters.

If the project works, India could make more oil and gas at home and need to buy less from abroad.

But there are risks: a well might come up dry, and it takes many years before oil can actually be pumped.

Still, the government hopes the project will make India's energy supply safer and less expensive.