Russia, India discuss cooperation formats on Northern Sea Route

MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. Rosatom is discussing potential formats for cooperation with India on the Northern Sea Route, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said at a meeting of the Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation.

"State corporation Rosatom is discussing mutually beneficial formats for cooperation with its Indian partners as part of the development of the Northern Sea Route. Its competitive advantages are clear today, and the use of this Arctic route will enable businesses to reduce transportation costs," he said.

According to Manturov, Rosatom’s experience in building the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in India also provides a foundation for deeper cooperation in nuclear energy, potentially including new facilities, such as small-scale power generation facilities, as well as the localization of equipment and nuclear fuel production.

Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev said in late 2025 that Russia and India intended to cooperate on the Northern Sea Route. According to him, this could unlock the potential for around 5 mln metric tons of cargo shipments in both directions. He said that this transit traffic, which currently passes through the Suez Canal, could instead be routed by the Indian side via the Northern Sea Route.