India discusses training of sailors for polar navigation with Russia

News: Last week, the India-Russia working group on cooperation in the Northern Sea Route (NSR) held their first meeting. The meeting discussed targets for Indian- Russian cargo transit, possible training of Indian sailors for polar navigation and development of joint projects in Arctic shipbuilding.

1. Northern Sea Route (NSR): It is a maritime route about 5,600 Km long that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic.

2. This route offers a shorter shipping route between Europe and Asia, reducing time and transit costs compared to the traditional Suez Canal route.

3. Chennai- Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor: It is a proposed sea route aiming to link Chennai, a major port in India, to Vladivostok, a key port in Russia’s Far East.

4. The corridor is expected to cut the time required to transport cargo between India and Russia’s Far East by up to 16 days, boosting bi lateral trade and connectivity.

5. International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC): It is a 7200 km long multi-modal transport corridor that seeks to link Russia’s Baltic Sea coast to India’s western ports in the Arabian Sea through Azerbaijan and Iran.

6. In 2002, India, Russia, and Iran signed the preliminary agreement to develop the INSTC. Now, the agreement has been ratified by 13 counties- India, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Ukraine.