Union Science Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced the signing of a 15-year contract with the International Seabed Authority (ISA), granting India exclusive rights to explore Polymetallic Sulphides (PMS) in a 10,000 sq km area of the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean.
With this agreement, India becomes the first country in the world to hold two PMS exploration contracts with ISA—one in the Central & Southwest Indian Ridge, and now in the Carlsberg Ridge—solidifying its status as a Pioneer Investor and global leader in deep-sea resource exploration.
The announcement aligns with the goals of the Deep Ocean Mission, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which focuses on seabed mineral exploration, mining technology development, and strengthening India’s Blue Economy Initiatives.
Polymetallic Sulphides are rich in strategic metals like iron, copper, zinc, silver, gold, and platinum, formed by hydrothermal activity on the ocean floor. Their extraction holds immense commercial and scientific value, placing India at the forefront of sustainable ocean mining.
Dr. Singh emphasized that this milestone reaffirms India’s 30-year partnership with ISA, and announced that India will host the 8th ISA Annual Contractors Meeting in Goa from September 18–20, further showcasing its leadership in marine research and international collaboration.
Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, hailed the achievement as a proud moment for India and its autonomous institute, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa. He noted that India now holds the largest exploration area globally for PMS in the international seabed.
