India and Russia explore faster maritime route

India and Russia are in active efforts to initiate operations on the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) in the near future.

 

 

Image Credit: Pixabay

India and Russia are actively working towards commencing operations on the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) in the near future, according to India’s Shipping Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal.

The Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) is expected to significantly reduce the transportation time between Indian and Russian ports in the Far East Region. Presently, it takes over 40 days to transport cargo, but once the EMC is completed, this time is estimated to be reduced to just 24 days, representing a remarkable time-saving of up to 16 days. The trade route between Mumbai and St. Petersburg covers a distance of 8,675 nautical miles and currently takes approximately 35 to 40 days for goods to reach their destination.

The Chennai-Vladivostok sea route, also known as EMC, will span approximately 5,600 nautical miles. A substantial container ship, operating at its standard cruising speed of 20-25 knots (equivalent to 37-46 kilometers per hour), is expected to complete this journey in approximately 10 to 12 days.

Sonowal, who is on an official visit to Russia, said, “Currently, there are 802 projects worth investment of more than $65 billion for implementation under the Sagarmala Programme by 2035. Out of which, 228 projects worth $ 14.6 billion have been completed and 260 projects worth US$ 27 billion are under implementation.”