As part of the research and development programme of the CSIR-NGRI, an experimental project on the development of an indigenous multi-parameter airborne geophysical survey facility was initiated in 1965-66. Over the last 60 years, CSIR-NGRI has successfully carried out airborne geophysical surveys to map natural resources throughout the country. CSIR-NGRI also acquired the capability of conducting multi-parameter (Magnetic, Gammaray Spectrometry and Electromagnetic) high resolution airborne geophysical surveys for mineral exploration in various parts of the country. And also built up self-sufficiency in heliborne geophysical surveys centered around a dedicated team of scientists with expertise in data acquisition, quality check, processing, modeling, and integrated interpretation.

Helicopter-borne geophysical surveys are now established as the most effective and popular exploration tool to find solutions to various problems where detailed regional information is required on the subsurface vertical and lateral distribution of physical properties associated with important geological structures/formations. High resolution airborne geophysics is the primary tool for Mineral, Oil and Groundwater exploration, management of Ground Water resources and Environmental studies etc. with precision and accuracy in data quality and position location almost comparable to the ground surveys in quality and superior in terms of speed and volume of data acquired in less time.

A few of the many significant results obtained from the interpretation of various data sets are given here. The basement configurations of upper Assam valley and the offshore and onshore coastal Mahanadi basin have been evaluated from aeromagnetic data. Few hundreds of conductive anomalies associated with graphite mineralisation possibly were identified by indigenously developed pulse-transient EM system in the region of Bolangir and Titlagarh. During the 7th Indian expedition to Antarctica, the first ever helicopter borne magnetic survey of about 4000 line kilometres was conducted around the permanent Indian station. Ultramafic alkaline complex at Jasra was discovered based on the recommendations made from the aeromagnetic survey by CSIR-NGRI. Interpretation of aeromagnetic data over Narmada-Son Lineament (NSL) for deep crustal structures led to the identification of two magnetic interfaces corresponding the basement and the interface between Upper and Lower crust.

Aeromagnetic data around Cuddapah basin helped to delineate schist belts, detailed information on the evolution of Cuddapah basin, and also inferred a magnetic horizon at a depth of 12 km. A detailed aeromagnetic image of a part of peninsular India has been produced by coalescing aeromagnetic data sets flown at different heights, epochs with varying flight line spacing, as a collaborative project between GSI and CSIR-NGRI. Unravelling many lineaments hitherto unknown was possible through this image.