India Signs 15-Year Polymetallic Sulphides Contract

On 20th September 2025, Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, announced the signing of a 15-year contract between the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for exclusive rights to explore Polymetallic Sulphides in the Carlsberg Ridge of the Indian Ocean.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the presence of Leticia Reis-de-Carvalho, the Secretary General of the International Seabed Authority, who is currently visiting India to strengthen international collaboration in deep-sea exploration.
With this agreement, India has become the first country in the world to hold two contracts with the International Seabed Authority for Polymetallic Sulphides exploration, the other being in the Central Indian Ridge and Southwest Indian Ridge.
This landmark achievement reaffirms India’s pioneering role in deep-sea resource exploration and establishes its strategic presence in the Indian Ocean region.
Polymetallic Sulphides are mineral deposits formed by the precipitation of metals from hot hydrothermal fluids emerging from the oceanic crust and contain high-value metals such as iron, copper, zinc, silver, gold, and platinum, making them significant for future industrial and technological applications.
ISA is an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the UNCLOS (1994 Agreement).
ISA, which has its headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, came into existence on 16 November 1994, upon the entry into force of UNCLOS. It has 170 Members, including 169 Member States and the European Union.