Ahead of the much anticipated visit of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin next month, New Delhi played host to Nikolay Patrushev, Chairman of Russia’s Maritime Board and close aide of Putin
Patrushev held discussions with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, National Maritime Security Coordinator Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, and Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. He also chaired a meeting on maritime cooperation, a theme that is expected to feature prominently in the summit agenda.
Both sides reviewed various proposals including on shipbuilding, port development, maritime logistics, and ocean research.
Patrushev said “We can offer India interesting initiatives in shipbuilding, including providing existing or developing new designs for fishing, passenger and auxiliary vessels. We have extensive experience in creating specialized ships such as ice-class vessels and icebreakers. There are opportunities for our cooperation in green shipbuilding, which is currently one of India’s main priorities in the maritime domain.”
The Russian side suggested exploring shipbuilding and repair clusters in cities like Mumbai and Chennai and proposed the creation of a joint database of standardized vessel designs to support India’s future fleet modernization.
Patrushev’s meetings build on momentum from last month, when the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) engaged with India’s Directorate General of Shipping. Both sides agreed to initiate work on a bilateral framework that would enable RS to carry out statutory surveys on Indian-flagged vessels, an important step in formalizing technical maritime cooperation.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s ongoing meetings in Moscow add another layer to the coordinated diplomatic buildup ahead of Putin’s arrival.
Chennai–Vladivostok Corridor
Parallel to the week’s high-level consultations, New Delhi and Moscow have revived discussions on the strategically significant Chennai–Vladivostok maritime corridor, an old idea that was revived during the 2019 at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostock.
For India, the corridor promises a shorter, more secure maritime route to access energy resources, minerals, and industrial inputs from eastern Russia. Strategically, it allows New Delhi to diversify shipping lanes and reduce reliance on routes influenced by China.
For Russia, the project aligns with its long-term plan to boost the economic development of its Far East and expand trade ties with Asian partners at a time of strained relations with Europe and growing Chinese dominance in the region. A functioning corridor would complement Russia’s ambitions in the Arctic and support logistics networks across its eastern seaboard.
The proposed route is now viewed as a central piece of a broader India-Russian maritime cooperation architecture, one that includes joint shipbuilding efforts, port modernization, and a more resilient logistics ecosystem.
With Patrushev’s visit setting the tone and summit preparations accelerating, the Chennai–Vladivostok corridor is expected to re-emerge as a major deliverable under consideration in the coming weeks.
