Syllabus:

GS-2: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

GS-3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. 

Context: 

India secured an exploration licence from the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to explore polymetallic sulphide deposits in the Carlsberg Ridge of the Indian Ocean. 

India’s Seabed Exploration Timeline

• March 2002: India signed its first exploration contract with the ISA for mineral nodules in the Central Indian Ocean Basin. This contract marked the country’s entry into deep-sea mineral rights exploration. Contract was valid initially for 15 years, which was extended twice and will expire on March 24, 2027.
• September 2016: India signed a second contract with ISA for exploration of polymetallic sulphides in the Indian Ocean Ridge, valid till September 2031.
• January 2024: India applied to ISA for additional exploration rights in Carlsberg Ridge and Afanasy-Nikitin Seamount (ANS) in the Central Indian Ocean. ANS exploration rights remain pending due to conflicting claims by Sri Lanka.
• September 2025: India signed a historic and first-ever global licence with ISA for exploring polymetallic sulphides in the Carlsberg Ridge area, authorising exploration of a 3,00,000 sq. km stretch bordering the Indian and Arabian tectonic plates.

Strategic and Economic Significance 

• Securing Critical Minerals: The licence provides strategic access to vital metals such as manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper.
• Reduce Dependency: With rising global demand, assured access will help reduce India’s import dependence.
• Geopolitical and Strategic Leverage: Deep-sea mineral rights are a new arena of strategic rivalry. India’s ISA licence secures resources, counters rival claims, and boosts its ocean power status.
• Future-Proofing Resource Security: Exploration licenses allow India to build geological and environmental datasets, preparing for extraction becomes feasible

International Seabed Authority (ISA)

• ISA is an autonomous organisation established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on 16 November 1994. 
• A contract with the ISA is mandatory for seabed mineral exploration and exploitation in the Area, as nations require ISA approval to operate in high seas beyond national jurisdiction.
• So far, 29 exploration contracts for an area comprising more than 1.3 million sq km of the ocean floor have been issued in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
• The organization is headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica, and has 168 member states, including India and the European Union.

Carlsberg Ridge

• The Carlsberg Ridge is a mid-oceanic ridge that is 3,00,000-sq km stretch that lies in the Indian Ocean, specifically in the Arabian Sea and northwest Indian Ocean. 
• The Carlsberg Ridge is the northern section of the Central Indian Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary between the African plate and the Indo-Australian plate, traversing the western regions of the Indian Ocean.
• The ridge extends northward from a triple point junction near the island of Rodrigues (the Rodrigues Triple Point) to a junction with the Owen fracture zone.

Polymetallic Sulphur Nodules

• These are the mineral deposits formed around hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor where hot, metal-rich fluids mix with cold seawater.
• These nodules are concentrations of rock found in the deep ocean and rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel and copper.
• These minerals are mainly found along mid-ocean ridges, back-arc basins, and seamounts due to volcanic and tectonic activity.

Sources:
The Hindu
Indian Defense News