The Fifteenth Indian Expedition to Antarctica was launched on 6th December, 1995, under the leadership of Shri Arun Chaturvedi, a Geologist from the Geological Survey of India. The salient feature of this expedition was the inclusion of 30 scientific personnel in a total team of 47 persons thereby substantially increasing the ratio of the scientific strength of the team over the previous years. The expedition team which was drawn from 17 national laboratories and institutes landed in Antarctica on the 1st January, 1996. The team successfully carried out ongoing research in the fields of atmospheric, earth, environmental and biological sciences, human physiology, engineering and communication. In addition, new experiments on albedo and snow drift studies, polar horticulture and geological evolution of Schimacher Oasis, were also carried out. For the first time, chartered helicopters were successfully employed which helped in establishing geological field camps at the farthest point to the south from Maitri on the Orwin mountains.

The expedition which sailed back from Antarctica on 28 February, 1996, has left behind a team of 26 members who will constitute the thirteenth winter over team in Antarctica. During the course of this wintering, the infrastructural facilities will be further augmented by induction of two all-terrain vehicles and matching trailers, a heavy duty crane for cargo handling and portable shelter for refuge during blizzards. In addition, new garbage and toilet incinerators will be commissioned for adopting a more scientific and eco-friendly waste disposal mechanism. Attempts will be made during the winter for ice core drilling upto a depth of 250m for paleoclimatic and environmental studies.