Context: 

Murmansk, often referred to as the capital of the Arctic region and the starting point of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), is currently experiencing a notable increase in Indian participation in cargo transportation.

• During the initial seven months of 2023, India secured a significant portion, amounting to 35%, of the eight million tonnes of cargo that passed through the Murmansk port.

What is NSR?

• It is the shortest shipping route for freight transportation between Europe and countries of the Asia-Pacific region, straddles four seas of the Arctic Ocean. 
• Running to 5,600 km, the Route begins at the boundary between the Barents and the Kara seas (Kara Strait) and ends in the Bering Strait (Provideniya Bay).

NSR Development:

• NSR Development Targets:
  • The Russian government has approved a development plan for the NSR until 2035.
  • Targets include reaching cargo traffic volumes of 80 million tonnes by 2024 and 150 million tonnes by 2030.
• Russian-Indian Collaboration:
  • In March 2023, a Russian delegation engaged with the Indian business community in New Delhi and Mumbai to discuss NSR development.
  • The delegation pledged to ensure the availability of essential components for year-round NSR operation.

Factor for India’s participation in the development of the NSR:

• Rising Cargo Traffic Growth: India’s increasing imports of crude oil and coal from Russia make the NSR an attractive and reliable transportation route for these vital energy resources.
• Geographical Significance: India’s strategic geographical location near major sea trade routes makes the NSR an important transit route for its trade.
• Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor (CVMC): The CVMC project, stemming from a memorandum of intent signed between India and Russia in September 2019, is being explored as a way to connect with organized international container transit through the NSR.
  • The 10,500 km-long CVMC, passing through the Sea of Japan, the South China Sea, and Malacca Strait, significantly reduces transport time to 12 days compared to existing routes.
• Geostrategic Considerations: Experts highlight the potential for China and Russia to collectively influence the NSR, making India’s engagement in its development an essential strategic move.

News Source: The Hindu