Maitri also known as Friendship Research Centre, is India's second permanent research station in Antarctica as part of the Indian Antarctic Programme. The name was suggested by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Work on the station was first started by the Indian Expedition which landed there in the end December 1984, with a team led by Dr. B. B. Bhattacharya. Squadron Leader D. P. Joshi, the surgeon of the team, was the first camp commander of the tentage at camp Maitri. The first huts were started by the IV Antarctica Expedition and completed in 1989, shortly before the first station Dakshin Gangotri was buried in ice and abandoned in 1990–91. Maitri is situated in the rocky mountainous region called Schirmacher Oasis. It is only away from the Russian Novolazarevskaya Station. Facilities The station has modern facilities to research in various disciplines, such as biology, earth sciences, glaciology, atmospheric sciences, meteorology, cold region engineering, communication, human physiology, and medicine. It can accommodate 25 people for winter. Freshwater is provided through a freshwater lake named Lake Priyadarshini, in front of Maitri. Airfield A blue ice runway, located away, operated by Antarctic Logistics Centre International (ALCI) serves the station and Novolazarevskaya. See also Indian Antarctic Program Bharati (research station) Dakshin Gangotri First Indian station 1983, converted to support base Defence Research and Development Organisation Defence Institute of High Altitude Research Indian Astronomical Observatory Jantar Mantar, Jaipur National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research Siachen Base Camp (India) List of Antarctic research stations List of Antarctic field camps List of highest astronomical observatories References External links National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research (NCAOR) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of Government of India Amateur Radio Operator Selected for Antarctica Expedition Outposts of Antarctica Indian Antarctic Programme Research in India 1989 establishments in Antarctica