Putin's December agenda: Arctic accord with India

New Delhi: Cooperation in the Arctic region will be a priority for Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip to India in December, according to sources. The focus areas will be connectivity and resource development, they said.

Discussions are underway about New Delhi's potential involvement in the development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and the annual summit may see a concrete outcome, they told ET.

NSR, which runs through the Arctic Ocean along Russia's northern coast, is up to 40% shorter than the traditional southern maritime routes through Europe, offering faster, safer and cost-effective cargo movement between Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.


During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow in July 2024 for the last edition of the annual summit, both nations agreed to establish a joint working group under their intergovernmental commission to explore cooperation in Arctic shipping.

This group, co-chaired by Vladimir Panov, Russia's special representative for Arctic development at Rosatom, and Rajesh Kumar Sinha, India's special secretary in the shipping ministry, held its first meeting in New Delhi in October 2024. Discussions included joint Arctic shipbuilding projects, training Indian sailors for polar navigation, and drafting a memorandum of understanding for cargo shipping cooperation along NSR.

People in the know said Russia is also keen that India should have a bigger say in the Arctic council amid efforts by Moscow to counter-balance China's growing presence and interest in the region, which is rich in fossil fuel and critical minerals.

Plans are also afoot to link NSR with Chabahar port, where India has secured a management role for the next decade. Russia is keen to use the port for accessing the Indian Ocean Region.