Balancing deep-sea discovery with environmental stewardship
India is expanding its deep-sea exploration capabilities through the Deep Ocean Mission, including the development of submersibles and mining technology. Experts are debating whether the ability to exploit deep-sea resources should necessarily lead to their extraction given the environmental risks.
Why it matters
This reflects the global tension between technological advancement and environmental conservation in fragile, unexplored ecosystems.
India is standing at the threshold of a new frontier. But the most important question is not how deep we can go, how much we can mine, or how much wealth lies beneath the ocean floor. It is more fundamental: Should everything that can be technologically exploited necessarily be exploited? The question is particularly important as India strengthens its position in deep-sea exploration and develops the scientific and technological capabilities to access one of the least understood parts of the planet.
India is not new to seabed mineral exploration and holds three International Seabed Authority (ISA) exploration contracts covering approximately 95,000 square kilometres across the Central Indian Ocean Basin, Central Indian Ridge and Carlsberg Ridge in the international seabed area. Its exploration has identified an estimated 366 million tonnes of polymetallic nodules containing nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese, alongside extensive environmental and biodiversity studies.
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