The Arabian Sea is calling, and this time for rare earths

Mint

4 days ago

At a time when nations are scrambling for rare earths and critical minerals following the Chinese clampdown, India is preparing to approach a United Nations agency for permission to scout for them in the Arabian Sea. In parallel, the government is also working on the technologies to extract and process these vital raw materials.
The application for exploration rights to a 10,000 sq. km area, to be submitted to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), aims to reduce dependence on global supply chains dominated by China. It would also mark an expansion of India's deep-sea operations. The ISA is a UN body governing mineral-related activities in international waters.
India's Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has already been allocated two areas in Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea of 0.75 million sq. km and 10,000 sq. km respectively. The allocation is under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
India has done an exploratory survey and found polymetallic nodules that contains cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese in one of the allocated areas in central Indian Ocean. In the other area, south of mid-Indian ocean ridge which is below Mauritius, India has found copper, cobalt, platinum and gold. The goal is to now commercially mine these minerals and prove that the process is environmentally safe, earth sciences secretary M. Ravichandran said.
"We have submitted for the exploration for polymetallic nodules in the Indian Ocean Ridge, called Carlsberg Ridge. It is mid between, what is called the Arabian coast and the Indian coast. It roughly covers an area 10,000 sq. km," Ravichandran said in an interview.
Ravichandran explained that matters relating to metals including rare earths in seabed which is beyond India's exclusive economic zone, are the mandate of his ministry.
'It is open ocean. It is a global common. It is not our water. So, we do some exploratory survey. Then we go to UNCLOS for getting exploration rights," said Ravichandran, adding that the benefits can be shared between India and the UN.
When asked whether India is extracting metals from the two already allocated areas, Ravichandran said that it requires technology for sweeping the metals from the seabed and then pumping. " We are developing a mining technology as we have to go to 4-5 km down the sea. We are able to sweep the metal with the technology, but we have some difficulty in pumping from deep bed as it has to be continuous. We are developing all these things," he said.
The ministry is also working on developing the pumping technology at National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai.
Ravichandran said India is extracting rare earths for exploration, but not on a commercial scale. India, China, France and South Korea are all trying to confirm that the process of extracting rare earths from the sea is environmentally safe before starting commercial extraction, the secretary said.
Amid supply chain disruptions from China, India's automotive industry, which imported over 80% of its approximately 540 tonnes of rare earth magnets from China in the last financial year, is experiencing the effects. While operations haven't fully derailed, short‑term disruptions—especially in EV output—are real and intensifying.
Poonam Upadhyay, director, Crisil Ratings said, ' With applications across EVs and ICE vehicles, a prolonged supply squeeze could disrupt production of passenger vehicles and two-wheelers, making this low-cost component a potential high-impact bottleneck for the sector."
An EY report 'Getting India future-ready: Role of rare earth elements' released on 28 May said China has a share of 68.6% in mining of REEs (Rare Earth Elements), followed by the US at 12.3%. "To realize India's Viksit Bharat aspiration, Aatmanirbhar strategy requires that India develop and control REE extraction and processing. Since REEs serve as a critical input throughout the modern production chains, they will have a substantial role linked to forward linkages," the report said.
According to experts, discovering rare earth minerals in India's deep ocean beds is more than just geological news; it's a strategic opportunity.
"India already holds the world's fifth largest, rare-earth reserves, about 6.9 million tonnes, but has lagged behind in refining and magnet production. This new discovery, if responsibly developed, can help reduce dependence on imports, enhance resilience in high-tech and defence supply chains, and allow India to play a role in the global critical minerals market. The key will be pairing this natural advantage with clear regulatory frameworks, technology partnerships, and environmental safeguards to translate reserves into real value," said Nikhil Dhaka vice-president, Primus Partners, a consultancy.
According to EY, India has launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) in 2025 for this purpose. Under the NCMM, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has been assigned to carry out 1,200 exploration projects from FY25 to FY31. To reduce India's import dependency in REEs, the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research is carrying out exploration to augment resources along the coastal, inland and riverine placer sands of the country.