An exploration contract with the International Seabed Authority covers a 75,000 square kilometre area in the Central Indian Ocean Basin.
India also holds two contracts for extracting metal‑rich sulphide deposits, such as at the Carlsberg Ridge.
The Deep Ocean Mission is funded with roughly forty‑billion Indian rupees.
Commercial mining will begin only after the International Seabed Authority finalises the exploitation code.
Under the Deep Ocean Mission, Indian scientists have demonstrated robotic crawlers operating at depths beyond five thousand metres.
The targeted minerals, including nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese, are essential for electric‑vehicle batteries and advanced manufacturing.
The initiative aims to create a full “mine‑to‑metal” value chain by involving shipbuilding, marine robotics and battery production, while awaiting final international regulations.
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