Unlike US, India needs to stay cautious of the deep-sea mining race

The US is racing to be part of an industry that hasn’t yet proved itself to be safe for the environment or good for business. India needs to wait and watch.

Last week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to accelerate deep-sea mining. India, too, is keen to be part of the race; the country is auctioning offshore blocks containing critical minerals. However, following in the US’ footsteps may not be the best thing to do. 

There is already skepticism because of environmental concerns. “The executive order sends a troubling signal to the international community,” says Simon Holmström, deep-sea mining policy officer at Seas At Risk, a Brussels-based non-governmental organization. “By prioritizing the hasty industrialisation of the deep sea of international waters, the US is dismantling long multilateral efforts …