The Shipping Ministry sees a ‘huge possibility’ in the Northern Sea Route, after a 70% jump in cargo traffic via the Chennai-Vladivostok trade link.
India is planning to send its first cargo ship on the Arctic route running along Russia’s northern coast next year, as it seeks to deepen trade with Moscow outside of Western sanctions and without disruptions via the Suez Canal.
The 5,600 km Arctic route, or Northern Sea Route (NSR), runs off Russia’s Arctic coastline and is the shortest shipping route between East Asia and Europe. Climate change and receding sea ice open up the route seasonally – but conditions are harsh, requiring specialized ice-breakers to keep channels open.
“In 2027, we are planning to have the first pilot vessel running through the Northern Sea Route,” the joint secretary in the Indian Shipping Ministry, S. Venkatesapathy, told the Arctic-Regions Forum in Arkhangelsk on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said New Delhi was showing active interest in the NSR. He said Moscow is seeing “growing interest from countries” about the Arctic route, naming India and China among those talking to Moscow.
Venkatesapathy, who is leading the Indian delegation to the two-day forum, said the Chennai-Vladivostok corridor – also known as the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) – has seen a 70% jump in cargo movement, and there is a “humongous possibility” to extend this success to the NSR.
He also spoke of India’s interest in the multi-modal Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor (TATC).
“We are seeing huge possibilities, not only for the EMC but also for the NSR,” the official said, adding two MOUs were signed last year for the development of the routes. He said India found the routes appealing because of their shorter distances, safety, and commercial viability.
India and Russia have set a bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030, and Russian oil now makes up more than half of New Delhi’s imports – making the Arctic route a key trade link for the two countries.
For India, the Arctic route can save up to 40% in distance and about two weeks in travel time to most European ports, compared to the traditional route through the Suez Canal. The Suez route has become dangerous for commercial shipping due to the Mideast conflict.
Russia has invested heavily in developing the NSR’s infrastructure, and in 2023, Moscow struck a deal with Dubai-based DP Word to develop container shipping along the Arctic route. Container traffic has risen as Chinese companies have seized the opportunity offered by the NSR. While 23 voyages were completed last year, some 30 are already planned for this year.
Cargo volumes along the route have exceeded 37 million tons over the past two years, and it is expected to reach 20 million tons by 2030.
Cargo movement between Russia and China through the NSR has already exceeded five million tons this year, the director of the Department for the Development of the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic at Rosatom, Azamat Khochuev, told RT on the sidelines of the Arctic-Regions forum.
The state-owned conglomerate, with its fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, is Russia’s designated operator and coordinator of the NSR.
China’s Sea Legend Shipping will launch its first regular service to Europe this month via the NSR. Sea Legend will sail seven vessels along the route – from August to October, Rosatom’s CEO Sergey Likhachev told Russian media.
South Korea is also working on developing cargo traffic through the NSR – with Seoul treating it as a strategic state priority.
