NEW DELHI: India is set make "strategic presence" in deep sea mining in a bid to counter China's rapid strides on this front globally as the government announced plans to explore the oceans to search for rare earth minerals to meet its future hi-tech requirements.
India is focusing on the hunt for rare minerals, where China and the US are among the few countries to have ventured so far.
Minister of state for science and technology and earth sciences Ashwani Kumar said that deep sea mining is an area of special focus for the government. The minister said India was not looking at exploring the ocean bed for commercial profits, but with a strategic purpose.
"Countries like China have taken to deep sea mining with a strategic purpose. They are maintaining their presence in the high seas by claiming to undertake deep sea mining," Kumar said. The minister said that elements "like titanium and platinum that are found in the ocean depths are used in space technology and ship building" among other things.
India has the capability to mine the ocean bed at a depth of 6,000 metres using the vessel, Sagar Nidhi. The government is planning to induct two more ships — one acquired from a Korean shipyard and one built at Surat to augment the capabilities.
The search would be in an area of 2,500 km in international waters as per approval of the International Sea Bed Authority.
The government's other two focus areas are high-power computers at low cost and translating the research work into results that are of use to aam aadmi. The focus of super computers would also help in accurate weather forecasting.
