Abstract: The “Indian Antarctic Act 2022” represents India’s first comprehensive Antarctic legislation and serves as the primary legal basis for India’s participation in Antarctic governance as an Antarctic Treaty Consultative Party. Complementing this legislation, India promulgated the “Indian Antarctic Environmental Protection Rules 2023” to further elaborate and implement relevant provisions of the Act. This research examines the overarching legislative framework of the “Indian Antarctic Act 2022”, focusing on how the legislation establishes an administrative licensing-centered regulatory structure and coordinates with domestic legal frameworks to effectively fulfill India’s obligations under the Antarctic Treaty System. The research also identifies distinctive provisions of India’s Antarctic legislation relative to the Antarctic legislation of other nations, while analyzing the positive and negative implications for India’s engagement in Antarctic governance. Given China’s current efforts in formulating a national-level Antarctic legislation, this research offers a valuable reference for China’s Antarctic legislative process and its enhanced participation in Antarctic governance.

Key words: Indian Antarctic Act 2022, Antarctic Treaty System, Antarctic governance