Big Push For Arctic Shipbuilding As Putin Visits India; Russia Calls It 'Promising Area of Cooperation'

New Delhi: India and Russia are exploring a joint venture to manufacture Arctic-class ships, a move that could mark a major milestone in the two nations’ strategic and industrial partnership. 

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, who is visiting New Delhi as part of President Vladimir Putin’s delegation, shared details in an exclusive interview with Sputnik India.

India-Russia Arctic Shipbuilding: A Strategic Opportunity
Russia, a global leader in building nuclear icebreakers, sees huge potential in collaborating with India’s rapidly expanding shipbuilding industry. Manturov said the Arctic’s extreme climate and challenging geography require specialized vessels capable of handling harsh hydrometeorological conditions.

“Ensuring safe navigation in the Arctic’s harsh hydrometeorological conditions requires high ice-class cargo ships, such as tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, and LNG carriers. Establishing joint production of such ice-class vessels could become a promising avenue for cooperation,” Manturov said.
 

A dedicated working group under the Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Cultural Cooperation is already discussing the plan. On the Russian side, Rosatom leads the group, while India is represented by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

Expanding Civil Aviation Cooperation
Manturov also highlighted opportunities in civil aviation, building on decades of defence-related aerospace collaboration. India’s growing domestic aviation market and the “Make in India” initiative provide a perfect platform for deeper engagement.

“We have a number of examples of deep and productive long-term cooperation in aviation. Russia is ready to work with India not only in supplying modern aircraft but also in helping build India’s own aviation industry,” he said.

The two countries recently signed an agreement for production of SJ-100 aircraft in India. Manturov added that the updated Superjet, already operated by Russian airlines and carrying over 40 million passengers, could see expanded collaboration with Indian partners as serial production scales up.

Trade Opportunities Amid Global Tariff Shifts
India’s businesses are exploring new markets following rising tariffs in the US. Manturov said Russia offers a promising alternative.

“Over the past five years, Russian-Indian trade turnover has surged nearly sevenfold. Our nations aim to surpass $100 billion by 2030. India can be a major partner in in-demand product categories where Indian producers can replace goods previously sourced from unfriendly countries, ensuring high quality and competitive pricing,” he said.

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The remarks signal a two-way strategy: Russia wants to expand exports while encouraging Indian firms to invest and collaborate in the Russian market.