India is making efforts to secure exploration rights for a cobalt-rich underwater mountain in the Indian Ocean, but its bid faces challenges due to competing territorial claims. The urgency behind India’s application stems from concerns over China’s presence in the region and its dominance in the global cobalt supply chain.
In January, India approached the International Seabed Authority (ISA) seeking approval to explore the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount, located 800 miles from the Indian coast. India paid a $500,000 fee and proposed conducting extensive studies in the area over 15 years. The seamount consists of 150 blocks spread over 1200 square miles.
However, the ISA found that the seamount lies entirely within an area claimed by another country as part of its continental shelf. Though not explicitly named, experts believe this country is Sri Lanka. The ISA sought India’s response to this finding, but India was unable to reply in time for the ISA’s 29th Session of the Legal and Technical Commission. As a result, India’s application has been put on hold pending its response.
The situation arises from Sri Lanka’s 2009 application to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) for an extension of its continental shelf beyond the standard 200 nautical miles. If accepted, this would place the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount within Sri Lanka’s maritime boundaries. The CLCS has previously accepted similar requests from other nations.
India initially did not object to Sri Lanka’s submission in 2010 but changed its stance in 2022, arguing that Sri Lanka’s claims would harm India’s interests. India requested the commission not to consider Sri Lanka’s submission.
Experts suggest that India’s move is driven more by a desire to establish a foothold in the area to deter Chinese presence rather than immediate exploration aims. China, along with Germany and South Korea, already has contracts for deep-sea exploration in parts of the Indian Ocean.
Nikhilesh Nedumgattunmal, an assistant professor of maritime law, believes that India has a strong case before the ISA due to the seamount’s location outside any country’s exclusive economic zone.
Al Jazeera highlights the importance of cobalt as a critical mineral for electric vehicles, batteries, and the green energy transition. Currently, China controls 70% of the world’s cobalt and significant portions of other critical minerals such as lithium and manganese.
India, which aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, needs access to these minerals to fuel its clean energy economy. In 2023, the Indian government announced plans to develop a crewed deep-sea mining submersible under its Deep Ocean Mission to explore polymetallic nodules from the seabed.
The situation underscores the complex interplay of geopolitics, resource competition, and maritime law in the Indian Ocean region. India’s bid for exploration rights reflects its strategic interests in securing critical minerals and maintaining a presence in the area, particularly in light of China’s growing influence in the region and its dominance in the global supply of these resources.
As the world transitions towards cleaner energy sources, the competition for critical minerals such as cobalt is likely to intensify. The outcome of India’s application and the resolution of competing territorial claims in the Indian Ocean will have significant implications for the distribution of these valuable resources and the balance of power in the region.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
