New Delhi: India has stepped up efforts to involve industry in deep-sea mining as the government seeks long-term access to critical minerals needed for clean energy, electronics, advanced manufacturing and strategic technologies.
A high-level industry outreach workshop in New Delhi examined business opportunities and the strategic importance of extracting mineral resources from the deep ocean. The meeting was organised by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the National Institute of Ocean Technology, with participation from policy and industry stakeholders.
India holds an exploration contract covering 75,000 square kilometres in the Central Indian Ocean Basin under the International Seabed Authority framework. The area is estimated to contain between 366 million and 380 million tonnes of polymetallic nodules.
These nodules contain minerals including nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese. Demand for such materials is rising because they are used across battery systems, electrical equipment and high-technology manufacturing, while supplies are concentrated in a limited number of countries and processing centres.
India also became the first country to hold two exploration contracts for polymetallic sulphides, including an agreement covering the Carlsberg Ridge. Sulphide deposits formed around hydrothermal systems can contain valuable metals, although locating and recovering them at great depth presents major engineering and environmental challenges.
The government’s ₹4,077-crore Deep Ocean Mission provides the main national framework for developing marine technologies, studying ocean resources and building scientific capacity. Under the programme, the National Institute of Ocean Technology has demonstrated an indigenous deep-sea mining crawler at depths exceeding 5,000 metres.
A crawler is required to move across the seabed and collect mineral-bearing material under extreme pressure and in a difficult operating environment. A complete mining system would also need reliable lifting, power, navigation, communications and surface-support technologies.
The latest outreach reflects a shift from research alone towards possible industrial participation. Companies can contribute expertise in subsea engineering, robotics, materials, ship operations, mineral processing and project finance. The government is also working on policy frameworks and commercially viable road maps for the sector.
Commercial mining in international waters cannot begin solely on the basis of a national exploration contract. It will depend on the International Seabed Authority finalising an exploitation code that sets the legal, financial and environmental rules for mineral recovery beyond national jurisdiction.
Environmental safeguards will be central to any future decision. Deep-ocean ecosystems remain less understood than many terrestrial environments, and mining could disturb seabed habitats and create sediment plumes. Baseline research, monitoring systems and transparent impact assessment will therefore be essential before commercial operations are considered.
India’s interest is driven by both economic opportunity and supply security. Domestic access to strategic minerals, combined with recycling and overseas partnerships, could reduce vulnerability to disruptions and support manufacturing in sectors that are expected to expand over the coming decades.
The government plans to use consultations with industry to identify investment requirements, technology gaps and workable partnership models. A proposed white paper is expected to bring together the recommendations and outline the next steps.
The initiative remains at the exploration, technology-development and policy stage. Its progress will depend on technical performance, environmental evidence, international rules and whether projects can become commercially viable without weakening safeguards for the deep ocean.
