Indo-Russian Arctic Collaboration to Guarantee Affordable, Stable Energy
The time-tested strategic partnership between India and Russia is being taken to a new level, with expanded cooperation in the Arctic region. Sputnik India examines how this benefits both nations.
SputnikIndia's participation in the Arctic could enhance the security of trade routes, especially in light of the United States Department of Defence's Arctic strategy, which emphasises countering Russian influence on the Northern Sea Route (NSR), experts have said.
A new era in India-Russia naval cooperation is reshaping regional power dynamics and advancing a
multipolar framework for Arctic security, a retired commander
Rahul Verma told
Sputnik India. This collaboration combines India's Act East policy with Russia's strategic Arctic ambitions, allowing both nations to leverage their strengths. India, historically a non-aligned player in international relations,
gains greater influence by supporting Russia's Arctic interests, he added.
On the other hand, Russia benefits from India's partnership in maintaining open access and security in Arctic shipping lanes. This cooperation promotes multipolarity by counterbalancing Arctic affairs, strengthening India's role as a regional stabiliser, and enhancing its reach in the Indo-Pacific, the Indian Navy veteran stated.
As India aligns its strategic interests with Russia in the Arctic, this cooperation contributes to a more balanced regional order and opens up economic and security opportunities for both nations in key maritime corridors, Verma stressed.
"India-Russia naval collaboration is likely to transform India's naval strategy by incorporating Arctic engagement into its long-term maritime vision. Traditionally focused on securing the Indian Ocean Region, India's Navy is expanding its horizon to a broader, blue-water presence, allowing strategic partnerships and logistics access beyond its traditional sphere," the analyst asserted.
Russia's Arctic expertise and infrastructure can enable India to adapt to the Arctic's unique operational challenges, while also supporting Indian Navy's modernisation, he further elaborated. With Russia's backing, India could establish a niche presence in the Arctic, gaining valuable cold-weather operational experience and enhancing its resilience in contested zones.
This collaboration bolsters India's ability to protect its interests across extended maritime boundaries, positioning India as a versatile naval power while ensuring credible deterrence and interoperability with Russian
forces in new geographies, Verma pointed out.
India's growing naval presence in the Arctic has the potential to significantly impact its economy by enhancing trade routes and securing energy resources, he said. The melting of Arctic ice and the opening of new shipping lanes would allow Indian naval access to these routes, reducing transit times for goods moving to Europe and North America, offering a more cost-effective alternative to the traditional Suez Canal route, he added.
"The Arctic holds vast untapped oil and gas reserves critical for India's long-term energy security. Joint efforts with Russia in Arctic energy projects can lead to affordable and more stable energy imports. By diversifying its energy supply lines and leveraging Arctic resources, India enhances its trade resilience, mitigates supply chain risks, and contributes to sustained economic growth, especially as energy demands rise," Verma underscored.
India's Arctic strategy, India's Arctic Mission, approved in 2022, places a strong emphasis on enhancing transport connectivity, Irina Strelnikova, a researcher at Moscow-based National Research University's Higher School of Economics, mentioned. This includes cooperation in logistics, transportation, and developing new routes, particularly through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Vladivostok-Chennai route, she highlighted.
As a major importer of energy resources, India has increasingly focused on the NSR as an attractive alternative to traditional shipping routes, she asserted. With Russia's ongoing efforts to ensure year-round navigation on the NSR, India stands to gain in both
energy supply diversification and enhanced trade route efficiency, Strelnikova stated.
She reveaed that there's now a working group being set up to address transportation issues. India’s interest in the NSR is clear, particularly since the last Eastern Economic Forum, where an agreement was reached to train Indian seafarers for navigation in polar and Arctic conditions, the expert explained. Agreements have also been made to collaborate on building icebreakers, potentially with Indian shipyards, she added.
This year, Indo-Russian cooperation on the NSR has become even more concrete. The unreliability of the Suez Canal and the complex international situation have opened up significant advantages for the NSR. India has conducted research comparing
the efficiency of shipping to Rotterdam via the NSR instead of the Suez Canal. Thus, India's desire to diversify its energy supply routes and engage in global trade routes is driving its interest in the NSR, Strelnikova opined.
"India also has a strong presence in energy projects like Sakhalin-I and the Vankor field. Therefore, an expanded maritime presence in the Arctic could enhance India's economy, particularly in terms of energy security, which is very important to the South Asian giant," she said.
The participation of India in developing the NSR and exploring the Arctic is a positive development, Alexander Vorotnikov, the Coordinator of the Project Office for Arctic Development and Associate Professor at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, echoed similar views. India is technologically advanced, with a strong base of skilled technical specialists, extensive shipbuilding capabilities, and well-established shipyards, he suggested.
This collaboration supports the development of Arctic shipping, which aligns with India's interest in using the NSR for its own cargo transport, the observer acknowledged, and fosters a new
approach to global interaction.
"India lacks extensive experience with Arctic vessel construction — China has more experience in this area — but India is highly interested. Recent discussions have centered around building four non-nuclear icebreakers in India. Although Indians don't yet have experience, its shipyards are excellent," Vorotnikov announced.
He divulged that specialists from Rosatom have inspected both public and private Indian shipyards. Rosatom's expertise in Arctic shipbuilding and the skill of Indian shipbuilders create an opportunity for effective collaboration in non-nuclear icebreaker construction. Similar to Rosatom's approach in international nuclear power plant construction, this partnership could also involve training local specialists for icebreaker construction.
"India stands to gain economically by transporting goods between Asia and Europe and potentially using Indian cargo for Arctic zone development in Russia. India has substantial experience in energy, particularly in renewables, and is very interested in Russian energy resources, particularly oil and refined products. This experience could even be applied to Arctic oil refining, with Indian technology contributing to Arctic energy projects," Vorotnikov concluded.