[The Guru=Reporter Kim Soo-hyun] The Arctic shipping route is emerging as a critical hub for global logistics, and Asian countries such as China and India are partnering with Russia to accelerate its development.
On April 4, RIA Novosti cited Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin, who said in a March 31 interview that "foreign companies' interest in the Arctic route is growing day by day."
The Arctic route traverses Russia’s northern Arctic Ocean and offers a shortcut between Asia and Europe, reducing the sailing distance by roughly 40% compared with the Suez Canal.
Beyond dramatically lowering logistics costs and transit times, the route offers access to abundant Arctic natural resources and strategic leverage — factors that have prompted major powers to compete aggressively.
Nikitin said Chinese companies have completed trial voyages and have begun regular container services to Europe via the Arctic route, and that India, Japan and other Asian countries have also expressed interest.
He added that India views the Arctic route as a promising freight corridor and has signed agreements with Russia on training the specialized workforce needed to support it.
In November 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said Russia regards India as a key partner in international logistics projects, particularly the development of the Arctic route and the North–South international transport corridor.
RIA Novosti estimated the Arctic route could handle up to 5 million metric tons of cargo between Russia and India by 2030 (roughly 5.5 million short tons).
Earlier, on March 12, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev said cooperation with China and India on the Arctic route has steadily advanced, and that South Korea is joining those efforts.
