India is now engaged in a competition with China to secure underwater mineral resources essential for the production of electric vehicles (EVs) and solar panels. An application has been submitted by India to the United Nations’s International Seabed Authority (ISA) to explore two regions in the Indian Ocean for minerals like cobalt and manganese. M Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, acknowledged this competition, stating, “We are aware that China and other countries are also eyeing these regions.”
Currently, India holds licenses for underwater exploration in two regions of the Indian Ocean. The first license, signed in March 2002 and expiring in March 2027, allows exploration of polymetallic nodules in the central Indian Ocean at a depth of 6km. The second license, signed in September 2016 and expiring in September 2031, permits exploration of polymetallic sulphides at the Rodriguez Triple Junction in the southern Indian Ocean. India now aims to explore the Carlsberg Ridge and Afanasy-Nikitin Seamount.
Regarding ocean mapping for mineral exploration, Sunil Kumar Singh, Director of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), revealed that only 300,000 sq-km out of the 71 million sq-km Indian Ocean region have been mapped since the 1980s. These surveys include a 150,000 sq-km area with polymetallic nodules. These nodules, resembling potatoes lying on the seabed, contain manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper, and iron hydroxide. The exploration process starts with ship-based studies followed by preliminary sampling and autonomous underwater vehicle studies.
In terms of sustainable mining practices, Thamban Meloth, Director of the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, explained that alongside remotely operated vehicle studies, there are parallel assessments of biological life in the ocean and potential environmental impacts from mining activities. Indian researchers have initiated test mining in an 18,000 sq-km area in the central Indian Ocean, focusing on developing and testing equipment to extract minerals without disrupting marine environments. The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai is working on developing an integrated mining system.
Furthermore, India’s push towards self-sufficiency in mineral resources is evident as NIO researchers have identified an estimated 380 million tons of polymetallic nodules within a 75,000 sq-km region in the central Indian Ocean, including approximately 1.5 million tons of cobalt. Currently, India heavily relies on imports from countries such as the UK, China, and Norway for critical minerals like cobalt. However, India’s efforts to tap high-quality minerals from its oceans could lead to significant progress towards self-sufficiency in these essential resources.
