The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), alongside knowledge partner EY and NITI Aayog, hosted a strategic industry outreach workshop in New Delhi titled “Deep Sea Mining – Business Opportunities and Strategic Importance.” The event convened international and domestic leaders across policy, research, and finance to chart India’s path toward a robust Blue Economy. Designed to build a complete “mine-to-metal” ecosystem, the initiative aims to bridge scientific breakthroughs with private sector capital, laying the foundation for future policy frameworks and an upcoming official White Paper on Deep Sea Mining.
The drive toward ocean-bed mining is vital to securing critical minerals like nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese—essential components for clean energy, electric mobility, and advanced computing. India holds exclusive International Seabed Authority (ISA) exploration rights over 75,000 square kilometers in the Central Indian Ocean Basin, containing an estimated 380 million tonnes of polymetallic nodules, alongside two exploration contracts for polymetallic sulphides. Supported by the ₹4,077 crore Deep Ocean Mission, NIOT has already proven indigenous subsea capabilities by testing mining crawlers at depths beyond 5,000 meters. Commercial extraction in international waters will officially begin once the ISA finalizes its global Exploitation Code.
CM Sukhu Takes Himachal Fiscal Needs to Union Finance Minister
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