New Delhi, India – 15 September 2026 – Madam Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), Leticia Carvalho, today signed on behalf of ISA a 15-year contract for exploration for polymetallic sulphides (PMS) with Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, on behalf of the Government of India in New Delhi, India.
The contract is India’s third exploration contract with the ISA and is its second for PMS. The contract area covers 10,000 km2 in parts of the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean.
Dr. Ravichandran stated that it was a proud moment for the Government of India to sign the contract, which makes India the first ISA Member State to hold two contracts for PMS exploration and to have the largest area allocated in the international seabed area. “We look forward to continued cooperation with the ISA to generate more scientific knowledge of the seabed, streamlining best scientific knowledge and technology for harnessing seabed mineral resources as the common heritage of humankind, while ensuring the effective protection of the marine environment,” he added.
Madam Secretary-General congratulated the Government of India on signing the contract. She highlighted that the signing of the new contract sent a clear and strong message to the international community that India continues to uphold and advance the principles of international law by conducting its exploration activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction strictly within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1994 Implementation Agreement under the mandate of ISA.
“I am confident that, by signing this new contract, the Government of India will leverage its experience, lessons learned and the scientific and technical expertise gained from over four decades of work in this domain and employ the necessary synergies to ensure that this contract is implemented with the utmost effectiveness, efficiency and due diligence,” she stated.
About ISA
ISA is an autonomous intergovernmental organization mandated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to manage the mineral resources of the seabed beyond national jurisdiction for the shared benefit of humankind. ISA is committed to ensuring that all economic activities in the deep seabed, including mining, are regulated and responsibly managed using the best available scientific evidence for the benefit of all humankind.
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ISA Communications Unit, news@isa.org.jm
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