The International Seabed Authority (ISA), established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is responsible for licensing exploration and exploitation of marine mineral resources in the international seabed area, also known as the Area. India, through the Ministry of Earth Sciences and its agency the National Institute of Oceanography, has indeed secured exploration licenses from the ISA for polymetallic nodules and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts in the Indian Ocean. These deep-sea mineral deposits, including polymetallic sulphides and nodules found in international waters, are known to contain valuable elements, including rare earth elements, which are crucial for modern technologies.