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India and its Interest in the Northern Sea Route
- Moksh Dhand
- Nov 14, 2023
- 4 min read
Murmansk is a port city located in the far northwest of Russia, about 2000 kilometres away from the capital city of Moscow. It is the administrative centre of Murmansk Oblast and serves as a key Russian port on the Arctic Ocean—; the second biggest in northwestern Russia after St. Petersburg. What makes this a crucial port for shipping and trade in the region is the fact that it remains ice-free year-round due to the influence of the North Atlantic Drift, a warm ocean current.
Source: The Economist
The port of Murmansk is the beginning point of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), also commonly known as the Northeast Passage. This 5600-kilometre sea route is the shortest shipping route for freight transportation between Europe and countries of the Asia-Pacific region, as it straddles the Four Seas— Barents, Kara, Laptev, and East Siberian Sea of the Arctic Ocean. This route cuts down the time taken to cover the same route using the Suez Canal.
The Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor (CVMC) project offers a shorter and efficient trade route, further boosting India’s interest in this trade route (Jarmuth, 2019).
The port has been witnessing a rising trend of Indian involvement in cargo traffic. Data suggests that, of the eight million tonnes of cargo handled by the port in the first seven months of 2023, India had a share of 35% of all the cargo handled. In 2021, the Suez Canal blockage resulted in losses of billions due to delayed shipments. This heightened interest in the Northern Sea Route as an alternative trade route. India has shown keen interest in using this route to handle its on-sea cargo movements. Multiple reasons have been cited for the same: The NSR offers potential distance savings of up to 50% compared to the routes through the Suez or Panama Canal.
Additionally, the region is abundant in coal, gypsum, and diamonds, along with significant reserves of zinc, lead, placer gold, and quartz. It is also estimated that the region may hold over 40% of the current global reserves of oil and gas. Hence, this region of the Arctic can potentially address India’s energy requirements and deficiency of earth minerals (The Hindu, 2023).
India has been involved with the Arctic since the 1920s, over a century ago.India’s engagement with the Arctic dates back to the 1920s, more than a century before. Ever since India has been closely monitoring all the developments in the Arctic region. The Arctic Council, established in 1996, promotes research and facilitates cooperation among Arctic countries on issues related to the environmental protection and sustainable development of the Arctic region. While India is not a core member of this Council, it holds one of the 13 observer posts in the Council.
The Ministry of External Affairs suggests that India can contribute positively to ensuring stability in the Arctic region. The Ministry’s Arctic Policy of 2022 mentions that the country’s approach to economic development of the region is guided by UN Sustainable Development Goals (Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, 2022). While this policy aims to strengthen national capabilities and competencies in science and exploration, climate, and environmental protection, it also seeks to increase India’s participation in the Arctic Council. This move aims to improve the understanding of the complex governance structures in the Arctic and the geopolitics of the region.
Russia has been playing a significant role in developing and managing this route. The country claims sovereign control over the route, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). According to UNCLOS, coastal states have jurisdiction over their territorial waters which extends 12 nautical miles from the coast. Russia asserts that the NSR falls within its limits, giving it control over shipping and navigation in the area (Maritime Executive, 2019). As a result, the country has invested heavily in developing the infrastructure necessary to support shipping along this route including the building of ports, icebreakers, and search and rescue facilities. While Russia’s role in the development and control of the NSR continues to be a subject of international debate, countries across continents continue to seek access to this increasingly important Arctic passage.
India and Russia have explored opportunities for joint ventures and partnerships related to the development and usage of the route. India views this route as a potential shortcut for trade, to reduce transit times and costs for Indian goods, especially during the summer months when the sea ice recedes making the passage navigable. “Russia’s foreign partners, among them India, have shown interest in the NSR Project”, said Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in a Northern Sea Route Development strategic session in June 2023 (Interfax, 2023). He also mentioned that several Indian companies are eyeing such projects and have shown their interest in exploring this route.
Energy cooperation has been a significant aspect of the India-Russia partnership. Russia serves as a key supplier of oil and natural gas to India. This route can potentially serve as a more cost-effective route for the transportation of energy resources from Russia and India. In addition, India seeks to balance China and Russia’s potential collective influence over the sea route. Russia’s control of the NSR aligns with India’s desire to have a stake in Arctic affairs and ensures that it has access to its economic and strategic opportunities. Bilateral agreements have been signed between the two countries to facilitate collaboration on shipping, research, and resource exploration in the region.
In summation, India and Russia’s relations regarding the Northern Sea Route are driven by economic interests, energy cooperation, and shared geopolitical considerations. As the NSR becomes increasingly important for global trade, India and Russia are likely to continue exploring ways to collaborate to leverage the benefits of this Arctic route for their mutual advantage.
References
India shows interest in Northern Sea Route project - Russian PM. (2023, June). Interfax.
Jarmuth, A. (2019, November 22). The Vladivostok-Chennai Maritime Corridor: The
implications for China. Institute for Security and Development Policy.
Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. (2022). India’s Arctic Policy.
Ramakrishnan, T. (2023, August 15). India accounts for 35% of cargo handled by Murmansk
this year. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/business/india-accounts-for-35-of-cargo-
Russia tightens control over Northern Sea route. (2019, March 9). The Maritime Executive.
About the author: Moksh Dhand is amongst the youngest members at the JSIA Bulletin. Currently, a second year student in the Jindal School of Journalism and Communication, he has a keen interest in a variety of topics ranging from lifestyle to international politics and current affairs.
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