India and Russia to Commence Trade Operations on Eastern Maritime Corridor

Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Sept 12 that India and Russia hope to begin operations on the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) soon.

According to an official statement, the EMC is expected to cut the time required to transport cargo between Indian and Russian ports in the Far East Region by up to 16 days. Once completed, it will take 24 days to transport goods from India to Far East Russia, down from over 40 days now. The trade route between Mumbai and St. Petersburg is 8,675 nautical miles long and takes 35 to 40 days to complete.

The Chennai-Vladivostok sea route (EMC) will cover approximately 5,600 nautical miles. According to the statement, a large container ship traveling at its normal cruising speed of 20-25 knots (37-46 km/h) will be able to cover this distance in 10 to 12 days.

"Currently, there are 802 projects worth more than $65 billion for implementation under the Sagarmala Programme by 2035," Sonowal, who is on an official visit to Russia, said. 228 projects totaling $ 14.6 billion have been completed, with another 260 projects totaling $ 27 billion in the works."

He added that another 314 projects worth $ 24 billion are in various stages of development.