Indian Antarctic Programme commenced with the launching of the first expedition in 1981. Thereafter, India has been sending multi-disciplinary scientific expeditions to Antarctica on an annual basis. The first Indian research station 'Dakshin Gangotri' was commissioned in 1983 and replaced in 1988 by the permanent station, 'Maitri'. This station has adequate infrastructure facilities for conducting scientific research of contemporary nature in the icy continent. Even while using Antarctica as a platform for conducting scientific experiments, India has always recognised the importance of preserving the pristine nature of this remote and unique continent. To uphold this commitment, India, an original votary of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, ratified this Protocol in April 1996 and is participating in the Committee on Environmental Protection (CEP), from 1998 onwards.

The Department provides a unique opportunity to scientists drawn from diverse fields and belonging to various national laboratories and institutes, to carry out experiments in all major branches of polar science. The logistic support to the expedition is being extended by the Indian Army and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories. From 1998-99 onwards, the National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa is carrying out all the logistic activities for launching the annual Antarctic expeditions.

The scientific tasks accomplished during the Nineteenth Expedition (1999-2000) and the objectives set for the Twentieth Expedition launched in January 2001 from South Africa are enumerated below: