India and Russia are holding discussions to deepen cooperation on the Northern Sea Route (NSR), the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday, as Moscow seeks to develop the Arctic corridor into a major trade route connecting Europe and Asia, ANI reported.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said connectivity remains an important component of India's broad-based engagement with Russia and confirmed that talks on the NSR are underway.
"With Russia, we have a multi-faceted cooperation of which connectivity is an important part. We have discussions with them on this particular issue as well. So this is something that is ongoing," Jaiswal said at the weekly press briefing.
Vladimir Putin remarks on India
His remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said India was among the countries showing increasing interest in cooperating with Moscow on the strategically important route.
Putin made the comments on Wednesday while addressing Pacific Fleet personnel aboard the missile cruiser Varyag. He named India and China among key partners in the development of the Northern Sea Route.
Putin also reiterated Moscow's commitment to developing the route within the framework of international maritime law.
What is Northern Sea Route
"Although Russia has consistently voiced, and continues to reaffirm, its readiness to cooperate and leverage the advantages of the Northern Sea Route, strictly within the bounds of existing international maritime law," he said.
The Northern Sea Route runs along Russia's Arctic coastline north of Siberia and provides a shorter maritime connection between Europe and Asia compared with the traditional route through the Suez Canal.
Russia has been investing in infrastructure along the corridor, including ports, navigation facilities and nuclear-powered icebreakers, as it seeks to expand the route's capacity for international commercial shipping.
Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route
For India, greater cooperation on the NSR could strengthen trade and connectivity with Russia while complementing existing initiatives such as the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has previously highlighted the importance of connectivity cooperation between India and Russia, including training Indian sailors for navigation in Arctic waters.
The NSR also offers potential strategic significance beyond trade and energy transportation, given the Arctic's growing commercial importance and increasing participation from Asian economies.
