India is racing to secure exploration rights for a cobalt-rich underwater mountain in the Indian Ocean, facing competition amid Sri Lanka's interest in mining the same area. This urgency stems from concerns over China's growing presence in the region, which already dominates the global cobalt supply chain, according to Indian officials and analysts who spoke to Al Jazeera.

Cobalt is a crucial mineral used extensively in electric vehicles and batteries, playing a vital role in the green energy shift.

In January, India approached the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority (ISA) to seek approval to explore the cobalt-rich Afanasy Nikitin Seamount, located in the central Indian Ocean, east of the Maldives and about 1,350 km (850 miles) from the Indian coast. The ISA was established in 1994 as an autonomous international organization under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to regulate seabed economic activities.

India has paid a $500,000 fee to the ISA to consider its application, detailing its plan for comprehensive geophysical, geological, biological, oceanographic, and environmental studies in the proposed area over 15 years, covering 150 blocks over 3,000 sq km (1,158 sq miles).

However, the ISA found that the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount is within an area claimed by another country as part of its continental shelf, likely referring to Sri Lanka, though the ISA did not name the country. A continental shelf is the underwater landmass extending from a country's coast.

The ISA sought India's response to these overlapping claims. On March 12, India conveyed that it couldn't respond in time for the ISA's 29th Session of the Legal and Technical Commission, resulting in India's application being put on hold until further review.

Sri Lanka’s Claim

Typically, a country's continental shelf extends up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its shore, defining an exclusive economic zone for exploitation of resources, though other nations' ships can pass through.

Coastal countries can appeal to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) for extending their continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.

In 2009, Sri Lanka applied to extend its continental shelf limits beyond 200 nautical miles. If accepted, the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount would fall within Sri Lanka’s boundaries.

The CLCS has previously accepted such claims; for instance, Pakistan, Australia, and Norway have extended maritime boundaries beyond 200 nautical miles.

In 2010, India responded to Sri Lanka's submission to the CLCS without objection but later changed its stance in 2022, arguing that Sri Lanka’s claims would harm India's interests, and requested the CLCS not to “consider and qualify” Sri Lanka’s submission.

Al Jazeera reached out to the governments of India and Sri Lanka regarding their claims but received no responses.

Chinese Presence

Analysts suggest that India’s bid is more about countering China’s presence in the region than immediate exploration efforts.

"India's claim aims to establish its presence and stake before China steps in," said a senior maritime law expert in the Indian judiciary, who requested anonymity.

According to the ISA, China, Germany, and South Korea have contracts for deep-sea exploration in different Indian Ocean regions.

Nikhilesh Nedumgattunmal, an assistant professor of maritime law at Dr. Ambedkar Law University in Chennai, said the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount's location, far from any exclusive economic zones, strengthens India’s case with the ISA. "India has the right to seek exploration permission from the ISA," he explained.

What’s at Stake?

KV Thomas, a retired scientist from the National Centre for Earth Science Studies in India, echoed that countering China is a key motive for India.

Though India's deep-sea mining efforts are still developing, the country has shown ambition, launching a Deep Ocean Mission in 2021 with a $500 million budget over five years.

In 2023, the Indian government announced the development of a crewed deep-sea mining submersible for “exploratory mining of polymetallic nodules from the sea bed,” which are critical sources of cobalt and other minerals.

Currently, China controls 70 percent of the world's cobalt and 60 percent of lithium and manganese—other crucial minerals—according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. India’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 will require access to these minerals for a sustainable energy economy.