Jan 10 – India and Russia are stepping up maritime collaboration, with fresh emphasis on joint shipbuilding, Arctic-ready operations and alternative trade corridors linking the Indian Ocean to Russia’s Far East—an effort India’s ports and shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal says signals a “new era” in maritime connectivity.
The plans took shape during President Vladimir Putin’s December 4–5 visit to India, when he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi moved to deepen economic cooperation and set an ambitious target of pushing bilateral trade to 100 billion dollars by 2030, with shipping and logistics singled out as key enablers.
Sonowal said the partnership is expected to centre on expanding shipbuilding cooperation and unlocking new routes, including the International North–South Transport Corridor and the Chennai–Vladivostok corridor. He framed the agenda as mutually beneficial, arguing it could support India’s “Make in India” push, create jobs and build longer-term maritime linkages between the two countries.
Officials see the expanded cooperation as a significant tilt in India’s maritime strategy—one that broadens its global shipping footprint while tightening ties with Russia. By combining India’s shipbuilding capacity and technical expertise with Russia’s experience and resources, both sides are betting on more efficient logistics, steadier trade flows and wider economic gains.