🌊 India is about to churn the ocean

🎵 Currently listening (perfect escape song btw)

Good morning.

It is the first day of August. Somewhere between the rain and the weekend, India just approved an ₹84,000 crore plan to dig for oil under the sea.

Let's get into it.

Chimi Ongmu Bhutia trained as a fashion designer and worked in Kolkata, but her heart stayed in Sikkim. After meeting thousands of artisans through a government textiles programme, she went home and built her own enterprises around the state's natural wealth.

Today she crafts sustainable lifestyle products from bamboo, natural fibres, and recycled wood - while creating livelihoods for local artisans and women.

Proof that protecting a place and building a business need not pull in opposite directions.

What happened?
The Cabinet approved Samudra Manthan - the National Offshore Exploration Scheme - with an outlay of ₹84,084 crore, running through FY 2030-31. The goal: find oil and gas beneath India's own seabed.

What is the plan?
Large-scale seismic surveys, deepwater and ultra-deepwater drilling, and shared offshore infrastructure across India's Exclusive Economic Zone - the stretch of sea where India holds sovereign rights over natural resources.

The scheme is expected to add over 600 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent to India's reserves.

Why it matters:
India imports over 85% of its oil. Every barrel found at home saves foreign exchange and cushions against global price shocks.

The name comes from the myth of churning the ocean for treasure - the ambition here is much the same, just with drilling rigs. What's really under India's seas → 

IMD has forecast heavy rainfall across several states today, with a flash flood risk flagged for Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

If you are in either state, avoid low-lying areas and check local advisories before heading out.

Scroll to the end for the answer

This one got us. Well said, Maya.

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