News: India signed an exploration contract with the Jamaica-based ISA in Delhi on September 15, 2025, the first licence to explore polymetallic sulphur nodules in the Carlsberg Ridge.
About Carlsberg Ridge
- It is a mid-oceanic ridge (a divergent plate boundary) in the Indian Ocean, specifically in the Arabian Sea and the northwest Indian Ocean.
- The ridge extends from the triple junction of the African, Indian, and Australian plates, northwest to the Gulf of Aden.
- It separates the Arabian Sea to the northeast from the Somali Basin to the southwest, turns west around Socotra, and links to the East African Rift via the Gulf of Aden.
- It forms the boundary between the Indian and Arabian tectonic plates, extending from near Rodrigues Island to the Owen fracture zone.
- Its mean depth is about 1,800–3,600 metres below sea level, and it rises roughly 2,100 metres above the seafloor.
- It spans about 3,00,000 sq km and coincides with a belt of seismic activity, with numerous earthquake epicentres.
Significance of Carlsberg Ridge for India
- Resource Potential: The area hosts polymetallic nodules rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper, with reported trace elements such as copper, lead, and zinc.
- Capability Building: The licence supports India’s aims in subsea technology, robotics, and environmental impact assessment while acknowledging concerns over seabed mining impacts.
- Energy Security: Securing potential supplies of critical minerals is important for manufacturing competitiveness and energy security during the clean-energy transition.
- Strategic Deterrence: Exploration rights help block competing claims, amid reports of Chinese ships scouring the region.
