Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor

Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor (CVMC)
Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor between India and Russia via South China Sea
Length5,600 nmi (10,400 km; 6,400 mi)
Major junctions
North endVladivostok, Russian Federation
South endChennai, India
Location
Countries India
Russia
Highway system

Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor is a sea route covering approximately 5,600 nautical miles, or about 10,300 km, aimed at increasing bilateral trade between India and Russia. In September 2019, in Vladivostok, Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a Memorandum of Intent for the route.[1][2]

Background

The current route from Mumbai to St Petersburg is about 3000 nautical miles longer.[1][3] The transport corridor from Chennai to Vladivostok initially operated during the Soviet years.[4]

In November 2024, Sarbananda Sonowal, the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India announced that the corridor became operational and began carrying oil, food and machines.[5] The final corridor spans 5,600 nautical miles and is expected to reduce cargo transport time between Russia's Far East ports and Indian ports from 40 to merely 24 days.[6]

Other ports that have the potential of being linked include Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Vostochny and Olga.[7] Russia has proposed to include Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia as intermediate stops in the route.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Chaudhury, Dipanjan Roy (12 July 2018). "Chennai-Vladivostok sea route: India's effort to counter China's OBOR could soon get a big Russian helping hand". The Economic Times. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Explained: The sea route from Chennai to Vladivostok". The Indian Express. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  3. ^ Roche, Elizabeth (14 February 2021). "Maritime corridor, trade on Shringla's Russia visit agenda". mint. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Россия и Индия укрепляют сотрудничество по развитию морского коридора «Владивосток — Ченнаи». АО «КРДВ»". АО «Корпорация развития Дальнего Востока и Арктики» (in Russian). 25 January 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  5. ^ Peri, Dinakar (18 November 2024). "Chennai-Vladivostok eastern maritime corridor operational: Sonowal". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  6. ^ a b Tuckfield, Dr Hugh S.; Marshall, William Cheyne; Tuckfield, Dr Hugh (21 March 2025). "The Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor: A Game-Changer for Indo-Russian Relations". The Indo-Pacific Studies Center. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Sailing from Chennai to Russia in just 24 days". The Times of India. 20 April 2021. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.