Russia could train Indian sailors for Arctic navigation

The plan was discussed at the first meeting of the Indo-Russian working group on cooperation along the Northern Sea Route

Russia could soon start training Indian sailors for polar navigation, according to a statement from Russian state atomic energy giant Rosatom. The plan was discussed at the first meeting of the Indo-Russian joint working group on cooperation along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), held in New Delhi last week.

The NSR is a transport corridor in Russia’s exclusive economic zone that passes along the country’s northern coastline through the Arctic Ocean, stretching the entire length of the country’s Arctic and Far East regions. It is considered the shortest shipping route between the western part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region, and Russia has extensively developed it by modernizing infrastructure over the past nine years.

India has been eager to include the NSR in its maritime logistics, aspiring to increase its presence in the far northern region, and has been actively investing in the development of the route.

According to Rosatom, which operates the NSR, the working group meeting discussed the targets of Indian-Russian cargo transit along the route, as well as joint projects in Arctic shipbuilding. The working group also drafted a memorandum of understanding between the Russian and Indian governments for the “development of cooperation in cargo shipping” in the NSR waters.

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The Russian energy firm said both sides also discussed “possible training of Indian sailors for polar navigation,” but did not provide further details. However, earlier reports citing Indian Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, indicated that the sailors could be trained at the Nevelskoy Maritime State University (MSUN) in Vladivostok, which is equipped with facilities for simulating navigation in Arctic waters.

Media reports also claimed that Rosatom discussed ordering four non-nuclear icebreaker ships from India. The Russian delegation reportedly visited a number of Indian shipyards to assess their capabilities and infrastructure, and is currently in talks over the potential order.

Moscow and New Delhi agreed to establish a working group on NSR cooperation in July this year, to be led by Indian Deputy Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Rajesh Kumar Sinha, and Vladimir Panov, Rosatom’s special representative for Arctic development.

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Commenting on the working group meeting to Interfax on Friday, Panov praised Indo-Russian cooperation on the NSR, noting that it has been quickly “shifting from top-level contacts to actual workflows.” He added that it is likely that preliminary work on a number of joint projects will be completed by the end of the year, and that the two sides will then be able to “move on to the details.”