The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT), Bhubaneswar, hosted the first-ever celebration of the International Day of the Deep Seabed, organized by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, under the aegis of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

The International Day of the Deep Seabed, declared during ISA’s 30th session in July 2025, marks a new global observance to highlight the importance of innovation, stewardship, and sustainable management of deep-sea resources beyond national jurisdictions. Beginning this year, the day will be observed annually on 1 November across the world.

The inaugural event was held at the Dr. R. P. Das Centre, CSIR-IMMT, with support from the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Critical Minerals under the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM). The celebration was conducted under the mentorship of Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, MoES, in collaboration with CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO), Goa, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, and National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa.

The observance brought together leading scientists, policymakers, students, and industry experts from across India’s marine, metallurgical, and mineral research sectors. Participants included representatives from IIT Bhubaneswar, KIIT University, SOA University, and CSIR-IMMT. The programme featured expert lectures on deep-sea exploration, seabed mining, extractive metallurgy, and marine biodiversity, along with a documentary showcasing the ocean’s extreme and unexplored ecosystems.

The event was inaugurated by Dr. Ramanuj Narayan, Director, CSIR-IMMT, and included a keynote address by Dr. Sandip Kumar Mukhopadhyay, Scientist F and Program Director, MoES. It was coordinated by Dr. Kali Sanjay, Chief Scientist and Head, Hydro-Bio-Electrometallurgy Department and Business Development, CSIR-IMMT.

Deliberations during the event were guided by ISA’s principle of the “common heritage of humankind.” Experts emphasized the importance of sustainable governance of the deep seabed, which covers more than half of the world’s ocean floor and hosts rich deposits of polymetallic nodules, sulphides, and cobalt-rich crusts containing critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese—key elements for clean and renewable energy technologies.

India, through its Deep Ocean Mission, remains one of the few nations with active exploration contracts under the ISA, advancing integrated research in ocean technology, biodiversity, and deep-sea mineral resources. CSIR-IMMT’s pioneering work in extractive metallurgy continues to play a vital role in these national efforts.

The celebration concluded with a reaffirmation of India’s commitment to sustainable deep-sea exploration, responsible innovation, and global collaboration for the collective benefit of humankind.