One key development is the direct cargo connection between Chennai and Vladivostok, a crucial Russian port on the Northern Sea Route.
India and Russia are in discussions to jointly build ice-class vessels capable of transporting cargo along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), according to a senior official from Russia's State atomic energy corporation Rosatom.
Vladimir Panov, special representative for Arctic Development at Rosatom, said talks with India also include cooperation on training crews for advanced Arctic-class vessels.
He indicated that Russia supports signing a bilateral memorandum on this issue.
"Cooperation with India on the Northern Sea Route is carried out within the framework of the intergovernmental format -- the Russian-Indian Working Group on Cooperation in the Northern Sea Route under the Intergovernmental Russian-Indian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation. The first meeting of the Working Group took place on October 10, 2024, in New Delhi," Panov said.
Panov emphasised that the main goal of the collaboration is to boost cargo traffic along the NSR between the two countries.
To enable this, modern Arctic-class ships -- especially high ice-class container vessels capable of year-round navigation -- are required.
These ships are proposed to be developed through joint innovative projects.
One key development is the direct cargo connection between Chennai and Vladivostok, a crucial Russian port on the NSR.
Cargo volumes between the two nations are already growing, and Chennai could become a major cargo aggregation hub for containerised shipments to Russia.
A minimum of 100 containers per week is needed to sustain a dedicated shipping service between Chennai and Vladivostok.
The NSR and the development of infrastructure are expected to be discussed between the two countries during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India in December.
The Northern Sea Route is the shortest maritime link between the western part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region.
In 2018, the Russian government appointed Rosatom as the official infrastructure operator for the route.
The company oversees the 'Development of the Northern Sea Route' project and is a key player in implementing the NSR Development Plan to 2035, as well as Russia's socio-economic Arctic development programme to 2030.
Rosatom's strategic objective is to transform the NSR into an efficient shipping artery connecting Europe, Russia, and the Asia-Pacific.
Panov said that cargo volumes on the NSR hit 37.9 million tons in 2024, a 4.5% increase over 2023.
From January to September 2025, 23 million tons of cargo had already been transported via the NSR.
International interest is also growing. Containerised cargo shipments along the route are increasing.
During the ongoing 2024 summer-autumn navigation season, 14 international voyages transported 276,000 tons of goods -- a 56% increase over the total for 2023. Three more voyages are currently underway.
According to Panov, this year, there were 14 international container voyages between ports in Northwest Russia and China, double the number in 2023.
Notably, cargo was delivered from Shanghai to Belarus via the NSR for the first time.
Panov added that the traffic is now two-way, with both Russian and Chinese operators planning more than 20 voyages this year connecting Chinese ports with Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, and St Petersburg.
Goods transported include dry, liquid, and general cargo, containerised shipments, and essential supplies for Arctic communities.
Given the frozen conditions of the NSR, icebreakers are essential to maintaining navigability. Russia currently operates 11 icebreakers -- 8 nuclear-powered and 3 conventional.
According to Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev, 15 to 17 icebreakers will be needed to move around 100 million tons of cargo on the NSR, up from the current 11.
Construction is underway on three universal nuclear icebreakers under Project 22220, as well as Rossiya, a next-generation nuclear icebreaker with twice the capacity of Project 22220 vessels.
These ships can operate both in deep Arctic waters and shallow deltas. Their commissioning will depend on how rapidly cargo volumes grow, Panov said.
Environmental Protection
Panov stressed that the Arctic is ecologically unique, with fragile ecosystems, and Rosatom is committed to protecting it.
Russia's Arctic strategy includes:
- Minimizing emissions into air and water
- Reducing production waste
- Restoring disturbed lands
- Conserving biodiversity
- Pre-project environmental impact assessments
One of Rosatom's key environmental initiatives is the NSR environmental monitoring programme, launched in 2021 in collaboration with the marine research centre at Moscow State University.
It runs through 2025 and includes an international expert group that promotes best practices and environmental standards.
"The principle guiding Arctic development is 'do no harm'," Panov said.
Infrastructure & Fleet Development
Panov acknowledged the challenges in scaling the NSR as the route passes through remote and harsh Arctic regions.
Its development demands systemic infrastructure and fleet investment.
The 2035 NSR Development Plan, adopted in 2022, includes four pillars:
- Cargo base development
- Transport infrastructure
- Expansion of icebreaker and cargo fleets
- Navigation safety
In addition to icebreakers, new port infrastructure and energy facilities are also being developed to support long-term growth.
At present, 30 high Arctic-class vessels operate on the NSR. These are double-action ships, designed to move stern-first through ice and bow-first in open water, balancing icebreaking ability with speed.
Panov emphasised that such innovative vessel design is essential for reliable, year-round cargo operations in Arctic conditions.
Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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