India’s caves are often viewed through the lens of tourism, religion, or archaeology. From the majestic limestone caves of Meghalaya to the ancient basaltic cave systems of the Deccan region, these subterranean landscapes attract visitors for their beauty and history. Yet there exists another world that is invisible beneath their silent rock walls, a world of fungi quietly shaping ecosystems, recycling minerals, and offering solutions to some of humanity’s biggest environmental and technological challenges.
As a researcher working in geomycology and microbial ecology, I recently explored this hidden dimension in my publication “Geomycology of Indian Caves: Diversity, Ecology and Biotechnological Potential,” published in the Geomicrobiology Journal. The review highlights that Indian caves harbour diverse fungal communities that remain poorly understood despite their immense ecological and biotechnological value.
Caves are extreme places for life. Unlike forests or rivers, they get almost no sunlight, have few nutrients, and keep the same humidity and temperature all year. Only organisms that are specially adapted can survive in these tough conditions.
Fungi are among the most successful inhabitants of these underground systems. They colonise cave walls, sediments, bat guano, mineral deposits, and organic debris. Genera such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Trichoderma, and Fusarium have been reported from several Indian cave systems.
These fungi are not simply passive residents but also actively interact with rocks and minerals through processes known as ‘geomycological interactions’. By secreting organic acids and enzymes, fungi contribute to mineral weathering, nutrient release, and the formation of secondary minerals. Over long periods, these microbial activities can even influence cave formation and structural transformation.
India possesses extraordinary geological diversity, and its caves reflect this richness. Meghalaya’s limestone karst caves, Andhra Pradesh’s Borra Caves, Chhattisgarh’s Kotumsar Cave, the lateritic caves of Goa, and volcanic cave systems associated with the Deccan Traps all create unique microenvironments for microbial life.
However, scientific exploration of these systems remains limited. Despite the discovery of over 1,500 cave sites across India, only a few have undergone detailed geomicrobiological investigation. Much of India’s subterranean microbial biodiversity, therefore, remains undocumented.
This gap becomes especially important because cave fungi may possess unique biochemical properties not found in surface organisms. Organisms surviving in nutrient-poor, stressful environments often evolve unusual metabolic pathways that can have industrial and medical applications.
One of the most promising aspects of cave fungi is their potential role in biotechnology. Many cave-derived fungi produce enzymes capable of functioning under extreme conditions such as high salinity, fluctuating pH and temperature stress. Such enzymes are useful in industries including textiles, paper processing, biofuel production, and waste management.t.
Cave fungi are also attracting attention for their ability to synthesise antimicrobial compounds. At a time when antibiotic resistance is becoming a major global health challenge, unexplored microorganisms from extreme environments could become valuable sources of new drugs.
Another important application lies in bioremediation. Certain fungi can absorb heavy metals, degrade hydrocarbons, and detoxify pollutants. These natural processes may help restore contaminated ecosystems in environmentally sustainable ways.
As someone working on biomining and bacterioform gold research, I find the relationship between microorganisms and minerals especially fascinating. Cave fungi may also contribute to future sustainable mining technologies through bioleaching and metal recovery processes.
Goa is rarely associated with caves, yet the state’s lateritic landscapes and Western Ghats region host unique subterranean habitats. These lateritic cave systems remain scientifically understudied despite their ecological significance.
The fragile balance of these ecosystems faces growing threats from quarrying, tourism pressure, land-use change, and pollution. Once disturbed, cave microbial communities may take decades or centuries to recover.
Conservation discussions in India generally focus on forests, rivers, and wildlife, but underground ecosystems deserve equal attention. Cave microorganisms are part of biodiversity too, even if they remain invisible to the naked eye.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of cave fungi is their relevance to astrobiology. Many cave fungi tolerate radiation, low nutrients, and environmental stress similar to conditions expected on Mars or icy moons such as Europa. Scientists are now studying melanised fungi for their potential use in radiation shielding during future space missions. Research on cave ecosystems may therefore help answer one of humanity’s oldest questions: Can life exist beyond Earth?
India’s cave ecosystems remain one of the country’s least explored biological frontiers. We urgently need multidisciplinary collaboration involving microbiologists, geologists, ecologists, conservationists, and biotechnologists. Modern tools such as genomics, metabolomics, and artificial intelligence can accelerate the discovery of novel fungal species and bioactive compounds hidden within caves. At the same time, conservation policies must recognise caves as sensitive ecological habitats rather than merely tourist destinations.
The underground world beneath India still holds many unanswered questions. Protecting and studying these ecosystems may not only deepen our understanding of life on Earth but also contribute to future innovations in medicine, environmental restoration, sustainable mining, and space science.
Sujata Dabolkar is Assistant Professor (Botany) at the Government College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Quepem Goa
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth