India, Russia explore maritime routes to unlock trade potential

The melting of the Arctic ice has revealed new shipping avenues along Russia's northern coast

India and Russia have decided to explore the possibility of using new transport routes such as the Northern Sea Route and Eastern Maritime Corridor between Vladivostok and Chennai to widen maritime cooperation. Both nations have also agreed to train Indian seafarers in Polar and Arctic waters at the Russian Maritime Training Institute.

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Eastern Maritime Corridor
This is a proposed sea route between the ports of Chennai and Vladivostok. Located on the Golden Horn Bay north of North Korea and a short distance from Russia’s border with China, Vladivostok is the largest port on Russia’s Pacific coast, and home to the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy. In the Russian language, Vladivostok means ‘Ruler of the East’. Shipping and commercial fishing are the main activities at this port.

According to a report by the Economic Times, the Chennai-Vladivostok sea route will cover a distance of about 5,600 nautical miles. A large container ship which travels at the normal cruising speed of 20-25 knots (37-46 km/hour), will be able to cover this distance in approximately 10 to 12 days. The corridor will allow India to have a presence in the South China Sea through a trade route that is primarily aimed at the speedy transportation of coking coal.

Also read here: Why the International North South Transport Corridor connecting India to Russia has become hot property

Northern sea route

The Northern Sea Route (NSR) runs along Russia’s northern coastline and is the shortest shipping route between East Asia and Europe. It stretches across 13,000 km, compared to the 21,000 km covered by the Suez Canal route,” stated a 2021 report by The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
According to a report by The Hindu, Murmansk, the beginning point of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), is witnessing the rising trend of Indian involvement in cargo traffic. In the first seven months of 2023, India got the lion’s share with 35% of eight million tonnes of cargo handled by the Murmansk port.

There is an opportunity of transporting commodities such as coking coal, oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and fertilisers.  Recent reports show the melting of Arctic ice has revealed new shipping avenues along Russia's northern coast.

This has led to a significant increase in Indian cargo in the region. With a need for energy security, India is exploring investment in Russia’s Arctic region.