Lok Sabha Question No. 2815 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: Advantages of Deep Ocean Mission
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Dr. K Sudhakar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2815

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 6 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## ADVANTAGES OF DEEP OCEAN MISSION

## 2815.   DR. K SUDHAKAR:

Will the Minister of Earth Sciences be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of strategic advantages that our country can obtain through deep ocean mission such as in exploring deep sea minerals;
- (b) the details and current status of the mission including the latest findings of the mission;
- (c) the  details  of  scientific  missions  currently  in  place  to  understand  the  biodiversity  in country's exclusive economic zone; and
- (d) the  details  of  research,  development and scientific collaborations carried out with other countries in the exploration of critical minerals including those from the oceans?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) The Government of India launched the Deep Ocean Mission to be implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The Deep Ocean Mission encompasses six verticals, of which activities  under  verticals  1  and  4  aid  the  exploration  of  deep-sea  polymetallic  nodules (PMN) and polymetallic sulphides (PMS), respectively. PMN occur on abyssal plains of the  sea  floor  and  contain  metals  like  nickel,  copper,  cobalt  and  manganese.  PMS  are deposits  in  the  hydrothermal  vent  areas  and  contain  precious  metals  like  copper,  zinc, lead, iron, silver, etc. As part of India's contract with the International Seabed Authority, the country aims to conduct scientific survey and exploration activities within the 75,000 square km region in the Central Indian Ocean Basin for PMN and the 10,000 square km area  in  the  Central  Indian  Ridge  and  Southwest  Indian  Ridge  for  PMS.  Exploration  of precious metals in PMN and PMS through deep ocean surveys strategically aligns with the  country's  contract  with  the  ISA  and  augments  the  country's  know-how  of  the collective metal deposits, in addition to its land resources.
- (b) The  latest  findings  include  the  development  of  technologies  for  manned  submersible, demonstration  of  the  collection  of  over  100  kg  of  Cobalt-rich  deep-sea  polymetallic nodules from a depth of 1173m in the Andaman Sea in 2024, identification of two active hydrothermal vent fields in the Central Indian Ocean, and development of vulnerability maps for coastal areas to due to climate change.
- (c) Vertical  3  of  the  Deep  Ocean  Mission  is  aimed  at  technological  innovations  for exploration  and  conservation  of  deep-sea  biodiversity.  The  Centre  for  Marine  Living Resources and Ecology (Kochi), an attached office of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has conducted six cruises surveying biodiversity across 19 seamounts in the Arabian Sea and Bay  of  Bengal.  Several  (~1300)  deep-sea  organisms  have  been  collected,  studied,  and vouchered, including conducting in-depth genomic analysis for select organisms and the discovery of nearly 23 species that are new to science.
- (d) India has signed a contract with the International Seabed Authority, as part of which the country aims to conduct scientific survey and exploration activities in allotted areas in the Central Indian Ocean Basin, the Central Indian Ridge and the Southwest Indian Ridge.

*****