The Arabian Sea calls, and this time for rare earth

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. Vijay C Roy 4 min Read 01 Aug 2025, 05:30 am Ist India, China, France and South Korea all try to confirm that the process of extracting rare earth from the sea is environmental safety before starting commercial withdrawal. (Reuters) Summary India plans to seek UN approval to explore rare earth in the Arab Sea, with the aim of reducing the dependence on China. The government is developing technologies for extraction and has identified polyethallic nodules that contain valuable minerals in its assigned areas. In a time when countries are clamping to the Chinese for rare earth and seek critical minerals, India is preparing to approach an agency of the United Nations for permission to explore for them in the Arab Sea. In parallel, the government also works on the technologies to extract and process these important raw materials. The application for exploration rights on a 10,000 square km area to be submitted to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is aimed at reducing the dependence on global supply chains dominated by China. It would also be an expansion of India’s deep-sea operations. The ISA is a UN body that regulates mineral-related activities in international waters. India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOs) have already been allocated two areas in Bay of Bengal and the Arab Sea of 0.75 million square km and 10,000 square km respectively. The award is under the UN Convention on the Sea (Unclos). India did an exploratory survey and found polyethallic nodules containing cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese in one of the allocated areas in the Central Indian Ocean. In the other area, south of the Middle Indian Ocean Ridge, under Mauritius, India found copper, cobalt, platinum and gold. The goal is to mine these mineral commercially and prove that the process is environmentally safe, said M. Ravichandran, secretary of the Earth Sciences. “We submitted for the exploration of polythaal buttons in the Indian Ocean reef, called Carlsberg Ridge. Ravichandran explained that matters regarding metals, including rare earth in seabed, outside India’s exclusive economic zone, are the mandate of his ministry.” This is an open ocean. It is a global common. It is not our water. We are doing an exploratory recording. Then we go to Unclos to get exploration rights, “Ravichandran said, adding that the benefits between India and the UN could be shared. When asked if India metals from the two already allocated areas, Ravichandran said it needed to wipe the metals from the seabed and then pump a mining technology. We can wipe the metal with the technology, but we have trouble pumping out of the deep bed because it must be continuous. We develop all these things, “he said. The ministry is also working on the development of pumping technology at the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai. Ravichandran said India barely withdraws Earth for exploration, but not on commercial scale. India, China, France and South Korea are all trying to confirm that the process of extracting rare earth is Commercial withdrawal, the secretary said. Crisil Ratings, said: “With applications about EVs and ICE vehicles, a prolonged supply press can disrupt the production of passenger vehicles and two-wheelers, making this low-cost component a potential bottleneck for the sector.” A 68.6% share in the mining of Rees (rare earthly elements), followed by the US at 12.3%. As Rees serves as a critical input in modern production chains, they will have a significant role linked to forward links, “the report says. Stayed in refinement and magnet production. This new discovery, if responsible, can help reduce the dependence on imports, increase resilience in high-tech and defense chains, and play India to play a role in the global critical mineral market. Partnerships and environmental measures to translate reserves into real value, “Nikhil Dhaka vice president, Primus Partners, said. Explaining exploration projects from FY25 to FY31. To get daily market updates.