MOSCOW (Realist English). Russia and India may sign an intergovernmental memorandum on cooperation in the development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) before the end of this year. First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov stated this in an interview with Interfax ahead of the Innoprom India exhibition.
“India’s geographical position and the role of maritime transport in its foreign trade increase the country’s and market participants’ interest in developing transit traffic via the NSR. Discussions on this topic are being held within the relevant working group of the Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission. One of the results achieved is the prepared intergovernmental memorandum on cooperation on the NSR, which we expect to sign before the end of the year,” Manturov said.
Pilot Voyage in 2027 — Marking 80 Years of Diplomatic Relations
According to the deputy prime minister, next year Russia is ready to organise a joint pilot voyage along the Northern Sea Route. This event will be symbolic — it is timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“Next year we are ready to organise a joint pilot voyage along the NSR. This will be a symbolic event in the year of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries,” Manturov noted.
India’s interest in transit traffic via the NSR is linked both to its geographical position and to the significant role of maritime transport in the country’s foreign trade.
Potential Cargo Turnover — Up to 5 Million Tonnes per Year
In the future, the volume of Russian-Indian cargo traffic via the NSR could reach 5 million tonnes per year, the first deputy prime minister reported.
India’s participation in the development of the NSR has already become a subject of negotiations at a meeting of the Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation, held in August in Moscow.
At that time, Manturov said that options for mutually beneficial cooperation in this area are currently being worked out by the state corporation Rosatom with Indian partners.
Earlier, in July 2026, the Russian government accepted Rosatom’s proposal to sign the relevant memorandum with India, and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed order No. 1825-r. Rosatom is authorised to sign the memorandum on behalf of the government.
The NSR as a Strategic Priority for Russia
The development of the Northern Sea Route is among Russia’s strategic priorities. According to the target plan, by 2030 the total cargo flow along the NSR should reach about 100 million tonnes.
Earlier, Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev said that India and China could account for up to 20 million tonnes of transit cargo. Thus, the potential 5 million tonnes of Indian traffic is a noticeable part of the planned international flow.
| Parameter | Planned Indicator |
| Russia–India cargo turnover via NSR | up to 5 million tonnes per year |
| Total NSR cargo flow by 2030 | ~100 million tonnes |
| India and China share of transit | up to 20 million tonnes |
| Pilot voyage | 2027 |
India’s readiness to cooperate on the NSR was also officially stated by Venkatesapathy Sivaperumal, Joint Secretary of India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, at the “Arctic — Regions” forum in Arkhangelsk in August 2026.
He noted that Russia possesses a unique nuclear icebreaker fleet, and cooperation in shipbuilding and ship repair opens new opportunities for India in industrial cooperation.
Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunkov earlier noted that India is showing interest in navigation along the NSR. He also stressed that the situation in the Middle East, where the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz persists, is prompting the world’s largest economies to make more active use of alternative routes, including the Northern Sea Route.
