India, Russia Deepens Maritime Ties To Open New Trade Routes

India and Russia expanded maritime cooperation to open new trade routes, strengthen shipbuilding ties and boost shipping, logistics and bilateral economic growth.

New Delhi: India’s recently expanded maritime cooperation with Russia is set to widen New Delhi’s global maritime footprint and deliver gains across shipbuilding, Arctic-capable operations and the development of new trade routes, according to a report.

The assessment by Maritime Fairtrade said the partnership would deepen bilateral ties and streamline logistics, helping boost trade flows and economic growth for both countries. It added that new shipping corridors linking the Indian Ocean with Russia’s Far East could emerge by aligning India’s shipbuilding strengths with Russia’s experience and resources.

The report follows high-level discussions held in late November 2025, when the two sides explored cooperation in shipbuilding as well as trade, economic, scientific and technical fields. The inter-agency consultations in New Delhi were led by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Nikolai Patrushev, aide to the Russian President and chairman of Russia’s Maritime Board.

Describing the initiative as the start of “a new era of maritime connectivity and global cooperation,” Sonowal underlined the strategic value of closer India–Russia ties, particularly in shipbuilding and the opening of new routes such as the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chennai–Vladivostok corridor. He called the collaboration a “win-win,” noting it would support the ‘Make in India’ programme, create jobs and lay the foundation for a shared maritime future.

The roadmap was also discussed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India on December 5, 2025. During the talks, both leaders set a target to raise bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 and identified shipping and logistics as key growth drivers.

Separately, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal has held talks in Moscow with Russian officials on a proposed India–Eurasian Economic Union free trade agreement, the report noted.