MUMBAI: If all sails smooth, Triton Deep View 24, a transparent glass–decked 26-seater tourist submarine being made in US, will take 24 tourists and two crew members 22 meters deep into the sea from 2027 December onwards to watch India’s first artificial marine museum in the form of a scuttled ship off Sindgudurg coast.“Till the time submarine arrives, the trained and guided scuba divers will be able to watch the underwater ship with the help of state’s scuba diving institute at Tarkarli,” said MTDC MD Neelesh Gatne. Once the submarine arrives, tourist will be taken 12 nautical miles into the sea via a speed boat from where submarine will then take them deep down the sea, he added.Maharashtra on Tuesday moved closer to launching India’s first integrated submarine tourism destination after the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) successfully scuttled decommissioned naval vessel ex-INS Guldar off the Sindhudurg coast, marking a major milestone in an ambitious marine tourism project.MTDC has plans to deploy the Triton Deep View 24, a 26-seater battery-operated tourist submarine capable of underwater viewing and slow-speed marine exploration.Officials said the attraction will include guided wreck diving, introductory scuba experiences up to 12 metres, certified diving up to 18 metres, advanced dives up to 30 metres, underwater photography, and marine education and research programmes.The retired Indian Navy warship was placed on the seabed near Nivati Rocks in Sindhudurg district as part of a larger plan to develop an underwater museum, artificial reef and submarine tourism experience inspired by international wreck-diving destinations such as Florida’s USS Oriskany and Australia’s HMAS Swan.MTDC said the project, being executed in coordination with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), aims to position Maharashtra as a global underwater tourism destination and diversify the state’s tourism offerings beyond beaches and heritage circuits. The project is being developed under the Centre’s Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) – Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale scheme.According to official approvals cited by MTDC, the Centre sanctioned Rs 46.91 crore for the initiative in November 2024, while the Maharashtra government granted revised administrative approval for Rs 222.46 crore in December 2025. The submarine will cost Rs 112 crore and based on various factors such as maintenance and crew the final ticketing price for tourists will be decided, sources said.Officials said the decommissioned ship will serve dual purposes — as an underwater heritage museum and as an artificial reef expected to support marine biodiversity over time.MTDC said marine experts and agencies including the Maharashtra Maritime Board and the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) were involved in scientific assessments to ensure the vessel’s deployment does not cause adverse ecological impact.The vessel, formerly INS Guldar, is a Poland-built Kumbhir-class landing ship tank (LST) commissioned into the Indian Navy in December 1985 and decommissioned on January 12, 2024 after nearly four decades of service.Tourists are expected to access the site through an integrated marine circuit. Under the proposed model, visitors will travel from the jetty to Nivati Rocks by high-speed passenger boats, board a barge and then experience the underwater site either through guided scuba dives or aboard a tourist submarine.The tourism corporation said booking details and operational timelines for submarine rides and diving slots would be announced later through official channels.The project has been positioned as both a tourism and conservation initiative.“Over time, the scuttled vessel is expected to develop into an artificial reef, creating habitat for fish, marine vegetation and microorganisms while also offering a controlled underwater tourism experience,” MTDC said in its release.Tourism officials believe the initiative could provide a fresh economic push to the Konkan coast, generating demand for local transport, accommodation, boating services and adventure tourism-related employment in Sindhudurg.
