Fact Sheet: Chennai-Vladivostok Sea Link

The dream maritime link between India and Northeast Asia and Western Pacific region, the
Chennai and Vladivostok shipping link, has for long been a topic of discussion, yet a hesitant
and speculative procedure to actually carry out. This route will not only benefit the country in
outsourcing its influence and presence to Far East Russia but also aid in sharing the natural
resources prevalent in that region.

Significance
The new maritime route makes most of the time by delivering cargos between India and Far
East Russia in just 24 days instead of 40 days. The current shipping route passes through the
Suez Canal, and Rotterdam Port, connecting Mumbai with St Petersburg, covering a total
distance of 8675 nautical miles. This range is unnecessarily long, mainly when the same can
be achieved by the proposed Chennai- Vladivostok route of 5647 nautical miles. This route
could be treated as a corridor, collocating with Indo-Japan Pacific Indian Ocean Corridor,
with Chinas ambitious Maritime Silk Route (MSR) proposing to connect Asia and Africa. India
and Japan are also collaborating over a Pacific-Indian Ocean corridor which would connect
the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. They'd be working together towards the establishment of
infrastructure and capacity building projects across Africa, Iran, Sri Lanka and Southeast
Asia, especially Africa as China too, plans to target it through its One Belt One Road (OBOR)
project which will link Europe and Africa. India plans to not indulge in any way and stray clear
entirely from Chinas One Belt One Road (OBOR) project, due to strategic and security reasons.
Background
India and Russia's partnership sees both the countries' trade and the economy as its topmost
priority. Both the countries have invested more than just their beliefs and goodwill in each other.
India has spent nearly $5.5 billion in Russias oil sector, while Russia has invested $12.9
billion in India with the help of the collaboration between Rosneft and Essar. The recent
Eastern Economic Forum held in Russia oversaw a formal India-Russia Business Dialogue
being carried out, with the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj further pronouncing and
highlighting India's interest for the more significant amount of trade, commerce and investment
between it and the Far East. The increased investment will help achieve the target of USD 30
billion to be used for bilateral trade between the two countries by 2025. Not only has India
shown immense seriousness regarding the Russian Far East Forum by sending Sushma Swaraj
as its representative, but it has also recently revealed the Russian Desk which will facilitate
Russia's investments in India, something Prime Minister Modi committed to during the annual
summit in St Petersburg back in June. Other such desks in India are of Japan and Korea.

China Factor and engagement with India

Russia's largest yet the most scantily populated federal district with just about 6.3 million
population is the Far Eastern Federal District which is almost twice the size of India. This
region is blessed with an abundance of natural resources like land, timber, mineral resources,
tin, gold, diamonds, oil, and natural gas. It can easily attract investors and to smoothen the
process, Russia has carried out several initiatives like agricultural SEZ, the Vladivostok Free
Port Project, mining of the vast mineral resources, etc. This region has also been vastly
susceptible to the increasing Chinese influence attributed to growing Chinese presence in that
area. This growing Chinese population in Far-east Russia is a matter of concern for it.
Therefore, it feels that it needs the presence of other countries like India to counterbalance it
and check the Chinese influence. In 1992, India became the first country to open a resident
Consulate in Vladivostok. Currently, Indias presence in this region is limited to few pockets
such as the Irkut Corporation in Irkutsk, a building site for the Mig and Sukhoi aircraft.
The ONGC Videsh Limited has also invested over USD 6 billion in the Sakhalin 1 project.
The region gives Indian companies plenty opportunities to collaborate and work in sectors such
as agriculture, mining, infrastructure and port development, diamond processing, agro-
processing, etc.

Conclusion
The idea for establishing a new maritime route would be strategically appropriate for both India
and Russia as they'll get plenty of opportunities to explore all kinds and spheres of trade. India's
economic growth will benefit from the Far-East deposits natural resources and would also keep
Chinese ambitions of global dominance at bay.