The Unexplored Oceans
Our oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface and share close relationships with our rivers and freshwater reserves. Covering about 70% of the earth’s surface, our seas supply half the oxygen we breathe, and provide food and livelihoods for more than a billion people.
They are also home to over 260,000 species of wondrous creatures and scientists believe there are more than a million species in the seas. However, unscientific human exploitation is driving many creatures to extinction before we have had a chance to even learn about them.
Our oceans and riverine systems serve as vital ecosystems supporting life on Earth while playing a crucial role in global commerce, economy, security, and maritime development. Yet despite this, we know more about outer space than our own oceans, with more detailed maps of Venus and Mars than our planet’s seabeds.
As a think tank and a registered not-for-profit organization (Section-8 company), the Maritime Research Center (MRC) is dedicated towards promotion of Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA). Over the years, MRC has emerged as a platform of national and regional significance, fostering dialogue and cooperation amongst stakeholders from Maritime Security, Blue Economy, Marine Environment, Disaster Management and Research & Innovation.
The MRC has drafted a comprehensive framework towards Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) which has been wholeheartedly embraced by key stakeholders for driving discourse and affirmative action.
From Insights to Action
As a think tank, MRC has collaborated with the brightest minds from Maritime, Science and Technology, Underwater research and Blue Ocean strategy to evolve actionable insights for nations. Translating these insights into reality is made possible with MRC’s Centers of Underwater Excellence founded in collaboration with leading organizations. It is here that insights are converted into action and translated into tangible products, strategies, policies and human skills that go into making our blue planet more safe and sustainable as well as better understood and explored.
Upcoming Event
The upcoming webinar on “Marine Spatial Planning and the UDA Framework: Navigating the Future of Safe, Secure, and Sustainable Growth in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).”, hosted by the Maritime Research Center (MRC), Pune, in collaboration with NirDhwani Technology Pvt Ltd, will take place on 25 September 2025 to commemorate World Maritime Day. This insightful event will convene strategic thinkers, policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, and community stakeholders to deliberate on the crucial role of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), reinforced by the Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) framework, in fostering maritime safety, ecological resilience, technological innovation, and sustainable economic growth across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The dialogue aims to chart actionable pathways for a more secure, prosperous, and environmentally balanced future.
UDA Digest
The UDA Framework has multiple dimensions, and innumerable innovative ideas that will go towards realizing the UDA vision. The UDA Digest is a platform to bring together these diverse views and thoughts in the form of short articles, videos, commentaries, creative posts and more. We invite original pieces from our esteemed readers for UDA Digest.
ICWA-MRC Joint Publication
The ICWA report “Ten Years of SAGAR Vision and Its Realisation: A New Perspective Based on Underwater Domain Awareness” (Aug 2025) reflects on a decade of India’s SAGAR vision and emphasizes that Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) is central to achieving its full potential in the Indian Ocean Region. It highlights how UDA can integrate maritime security, sustainability, scientific research, and governance by enabling advanced underwater surveillance, supporting the blue economy, fostering digital transformation in aquaculture, aiding climate resilience, and preserving maritime heritage and indigenous knowledge.
Through expert essays on themes such as acoustic fingerprinting, marine spatial planning, sediment strategies, climate change, and regional cooperation, the report presents UDA as a holistic and multi-dimensional framework. It argues that UDA not only strengthens India’s maritime power and ecological stewardship but also enhances strategic partnerships, regional diplomacy, and community engagement—thereby aligning India’s long-term security, economic, and environmental goals with the broader vision of SAGAR.
The report stresses the need for capacity building and human resource development, highlighting the “100 Warriors” program to nurture young maritime professionals. By combining technology, policy, and community participation, it urges collaboration among government, academia, industry, and coastal communities. UDA is presented not just as a governance tool but as a catalyst for shaping India’s role as a responsible and influential maritime power in the Indian Ocean and beyond.
Our Recognition
The Maritime Research Center (MRC) in Pune focuses on research. M/S NirDhwani Technologies Pvt Ltd (NDT) specializes in underwater technologies. Both have over five years of recognized work.
SIRO Recognition
MRC is a recognized Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) recognized by the Ministry of Science & Technology.
Capacity Building Commission
MRC is a partner to the Capacity Building Commission (CBC) of the Government of India, fostering collaboration and expertise.
MoES
MRC is a dedicated knowledge partner to the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), contributing to their
NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog initiated a project to draft the comprehensive national capacity building policy for Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA).
Policy Acceptance
The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) recently accepted our comprehensive policy paper on the underwater security framework.
International Maritime Organization
The DG Shipping forwarded MRC’s paper on underwater noise to the IMO, resulting in India’s nomination as the lead nation for IOR.