India’s Antarctic Research Stations

India’s first Antarctic station sank into the ice within a few years of being built. It never stopped India from going back. This article covers all three stations India has built in Antarctica, and the one now under construction.

Four Stations, One Continent

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1983

Dakshin Gangotri

India’s first Antarctic station; later swallowed by ice

1989

Maitri Opens

Built on the rocky Schirmacher Oasis, still operational today

2012

Bharati Becomes Operational

India’s newest station, roughly 3,000 km east of Maitri

UNDER WAY

Maitri II Planned

A modern fourth station, to replace the ageing Maitri

The pattern: Each station has been sturdier and more permanent than the last, as India’s Antarctic presence has grown.

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Timeline

• In 1983, India built Dakshin Gangotri, its first Antarctic station. Rising snow eventually buried it, and it was decommissioned in 1990.
• In 1989, India opened Maitri, on the rocky Schirmacher Oasis. It remains operational today.
• In 2012, Bharati became operational, roughly 3,000 km east of Maitri.
• Work is now under way on Maitri II, a modern fourth station meant to replace the ageing original Maitri.

Must Know

• India currently operates two active Antarctic stations: Maitri and Bharati.
• Dakshin Gangotri, India’s first station, was abandoned after sinking into the ice, and now serves only as a supply base.
• India has been a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty since 1983, giving it a voice in Antarctic governance decisions.
• Maitri sits beside Lake Priyadarshini, an artificial freshwater lake created by Indian researchers nearby.

Good to Know

• The original Maitri station was designed for a working life of about 10 years, but has remained in use for far longer, with ageing infrastructure and waste-management issues.
• Maitri II is planned as a modern, green facility, with capacity for around 90 scientists.
• Bharati lies between the Thala Fjord and Quilty Bay, in a different, more remote part of East Antarctica than Maitri.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. What was the name of India’s first Antarctic research station, established in 1983?

Maitri

Bharati

Dakshin Gangotri

Himadri

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Great to Know

• Losing its first station to the ice, then building three more anyway, shows real commitment. India treated an early failure as a lesson, not a reason to stop.
• Replacing Maitri after decades of use reflects a broader truth about polar infrastructure. Extreme cold and ice movement make permanence there far harder to achieve than in almost any other environment.
• Holding Consultative Party status since 1983 lets India help shape Antarctic rules, not just follow them. That status came directly from sustained, continuous research presence, not diplomacy alone.