By: Staff Writer
March 08, Colombo (LNW): A growing dispute between Sri Lanka and India over deep-sea mineral exploration rights is drawing attention to the strategic importance of seabed resources in the Indian Ocean.
The disagreement centres on the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount, an underwater mountain believed to contain cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, a resource increasingly sought after for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries and green energy technologies.
India has applied to the International Seabed Authority for permission to explore the area, but Sri Lanka has formally objected, arguing that the seamount lies within its extended continental shelf claim submitted to the United Nations.
According to oceanographers familiar with the issue, Sri Lanka’s objection has resulted in the International Seabed Authority temporarily placing India’s application on hold while the territorial claim is examined.
The dispute highlights the intensifying competition among regional powers to secure access to seabed minerals that could play a crucial role in future energy and technology industries.
Sri Lanka submitted its request to extend its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2009. However, the review process has remained stalled largely because India has overlapping claims in the same region.
Until the competing claims are resolved, uncertainty will continue over which country holds the right to explore and potentially exploit resources in the contested zone.
Experts say the situation also reflects a broader strategic rivalry in the Indian Ocean. India is reportedly keen to secure exploration rights for the seamount partly to prevent rival powers from gaining access to the resource-rich region.
China has already increased its scientific presence in the Indian Ocean by deploying research vessels that conduct seabed surveys and oceanographic studies.
However, analysts argue that Sri Lanka’s institutional response to these developments has been relatively slow.
One mineral sector specialist noted that the country has yet to appoint a permanent representative to the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority, a move many consider essential for defending national interests in global seabed governance.
The absence of consistent diplomatic engagement, he said, signals a lack of institutional momentum at a time when other countries are aggressively pursuing deep-sea exploration opportunities.
At the same time, Sri Lanka is attempting to maintain a delicate balance amid geopolitical rivalries between major powers including India, China, and the United States.
Some experts believe the government has deliberately limited large-scale maritime exploration activities in order to avoid becoming entangled in regional strategic competition.
While such caution may help preserve diplomatic neutrality, critics warn that excessive restraint could cost Sri Lanka valuable opportunities in the rapidly expanding blue economy.
With seabed minerals expected to become a key driver of future industrial growth, the outcome of the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount dispute may ultimately shape Sri Lanka’s role in the evolving geopolitics of the Indian Ocean.