PARLIAMENT QUESTION: DEEP-SEA MINING

PARLIAMENT QUESTION: DEEP-SEA MINING

The Deep Ocean Mission encompasses six verticals, which are (1) Development of Technologies for Deep-sea mining, Human Submersible and underwater robotics, (2) Development of Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services, (3) Technological Innovations for exploration and conservation of deep-sea biodiversity, (4) Deep-ocean survey and exploration, (5) Energy and fresh water from the ocean, and (6) Establishment of Advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology. The significant milestones achieved under the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) are as follows:

The seabed mining system for exploratory mining that collects the nodules from the seabed and crushes them for further pumping has been developed and tested for mobility and system-powering at the depths of 5270m in 2021 at the Central Indian Ocean and for exploratory mining trials in 2024 at Andaman Sea sites. The SAHAV portal was launched in 2025 as a real-time digital portal facilitating access to oceanic data, promoting evidence-driven ocean governance, and for support climate forecasting, marine resource tracking, and disaster early warning.

Commercial mining in international waters is as per the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Exploitation Code for polymetallic mining, which is non-existent as of date. The Exploitation Code outlines environmental norms and monitoring systems to enable sustainable nodule harvesting. The investment, platform, and system requirements are based on contemporary technology, collaborative development efforts, and known environmental compliance norms.

This information was submitted by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh in Rajya Sabha on 12 March 2026.