India Ramps Up Scientific Missions to Arctic as Global Players Jockey for Influence

Research aimed at global efforts to fight climate change is one pillar of its Arctic policy

- Nirmala Ganapathy

NEW DELHI - Come August, 10 scientists will set sail on India's first oceanographic expedition to the eastern part of the chilly Greenland Sea as the South Asian country intensifies its focus on the Arctic region.

The researchers will gather information and conduct tests during the 15-day study aboard a vessel rented from Sweden to gauge how the warming of the Arctic affects monsoon rainfall in India, halfway around the world, as suggested by an increasing body of research.

The mission takes place more than a year after India's first winter scientific expedition to the region. Separately, since 2023, scientists have conducted two study trips in the Canadian High Arctic region to learn about microorganisms and viruses in the permafrost that could pose a health risk to humans.

India has a growing confluence of scientific, commercial and strategic plans to boost its presence in the Arctic and ensure that it does not get sidelined amid the jostle for influence among Russia, the US and China.

By ramping up its stake in the Arctic through more scientific expeditions, India hopes to elevate its standing as a responsible global power.

Scientific research aimed at contributing to global efforts in addressing climate change is one pillar of India's Arctic policy, complementing its strategic and commercial interests.

At the same time, melting Arctic sea ice is opening trade routes and creating possibilities for resource exploration, prompting countries such as Russia, Canada and Denmark to expand claims for rights over the seabed, which is believed to contain oil, natural gas and critical minerals.

With US President Donald Trump asserting claims over the strategically important and resource-rich Greenland – an autonomous territory of Denmark and near the Northern Sea Route – the power play is expected to intensify.

SEEKING A STRATEGIC STAKE