India Russia Picks India Over China For Building Its Non-Nuclear Icebreaker Ships

[Nilgiri]

Russia Picks India Over China For Building Its Non-Nuclear Icebreaker Ships

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Russia chose India instead of China to construct non-nuclear icebreakers as Moscow strives to develop the Northern Sea Route and overcome the difficulties posed by Western sanctions. This will bolster India-Russia ties and position India as a major actor in the affairs of the Arctic region.


Indian Government is in talks with two shipbuilders, a state-owned and another private to build 4 non-nuclear icebreaker ships valued at more than $750 million.


This construction program will support Russian Nuclear energy company ROSATOM, while it searches for shipyards in India.


In 2023, Russia discussed India’s proposal for joint production of non-nuclear icebreakers in India, per Russian Minister Alexey Chekunkov.


This news came after Russian discussions with an Indian business delegation which attended the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

Both nations decided to enhance cooperation in the Russian Arctic and develop the Northern Sea Route as an important transit centre.


Russia sees the Northern Sea Route as an alternative route which will decrease sailing times and reduce costs. Compared to the Suez Canal route, it offers faster transit between North Europe and East Asia. By 2030, Russia plans to ship 150 million tonnes of crude oil, coal, LNG etc through this route.


It involves deploying more than 50 icebreakers and ice-class ships and constructing new ports, terminals and emergency response ships which will ply this route.


Indian PM Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in July 2024 during his 2-day visit to Moscow where the two leaders discussed collaborating across sectors, including shipbuilding.


This will be achieved by establishing a joint working body within the IRIGC-TEC.


ROSATOM and Indian partners also discussed ways to develop the potential of the Northern Sea Route that extends from Murmansk close to the Russian border with Norway, to the Bering Strait close to Alaska.


ROSATOM wants to build 4 non-nuclear icebreakers in India and the order is being finalised. An official stated that both countries also plan on an MOU for shipbuilding and repairs of Russian ships in Indian shipyards along with training of Indian Seafarers in polar waters.


For this purpose, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and India’s Enso Group have partnered for joint investments of around $225 million for developing shipbuilding infrastructure.


Another reason why Russia chose India is because European shipyards cannot cater to the order while Chinese, Korean and Japanese shipyards are completely booked till 2028. Russia also sees India as a trustworthy partner with which it has always shared amicable relations.


Russian delegation and ROSATOM officials reached Indian Shipyards to assess their infrastructure and capacity. The only concern is the type of steel needed for construction and sourcing the engines for the vessels.


This project is a major milestone in Russia-India relations which will not only strengthen India’s position in shipbuilding. Meanwhile, Russia is also advancing its initiatives regarding arctic routes with China.

The Arctic Express Route was launched in July 2024, a Russian-Chinese effort to establish the shortest maritime link from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic through the Arctic.


China will benefit from developing and securing Russia’s Northern Sea Route since it is an integral part of its Belt and Road Initiative.


Russia is trying to maintain a balanced relationship with both China and India in the Arctic as it is part of Moscow’s broader strategy to turn to friendly countries to handle Western sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine.