Muskan BhatiaNew Delhi, March 18 -- India's ambitious deep-sea mission aboard Matsya-6000 has been pushed to the last quarter of the year, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday, citing delays in a crucial component.
Responding to a query in the Lok Sabha, Minister for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh said that a key material, syntactic foam, required for initial 500-metre shallow dives, is not yet ready.
While the foam has been designed in India, it is being manufactured by a European firm. "Unfortunately, this component is not yet ready due to a manufacturing defect," the minister said.
He added that the material is expected to arrive in India by the end of May. "After integration and testing, the shallow-water dive is now schedu...