Main Menu >  Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes  >  The Himalaya >  The Making of the Himalaya 80 million years ago: As the Indo-Australian Plate moved northward, it began descending beneath the Eurasian Plate. 40 million years ago: An intervening oceanic basin was completely consumed, causing the Indian and Asian continents to collide. Today: The two plates continue to collide, deforming rock and raising the Himalaya at a rate of 1 cm (0.4 in) a year.