India and Russia are expediting the operationalisation of the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC), with Russia planning to send a business delegation to explore prospects in Chennai. During his visit to Russia, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal invited Russia to participate in an Indo-Russian Workshop on the EMC in Vladivostok.
The workshop, scheduled for October 30 to November 1, 2023, in Chennai, India, aims to facilitate early operationalisation of the trade route between Vladivostok and Chennai. This corridor offers India a presence in the South China Sea for expedited transportation of coking coal. An agreement for the trade route was signed in 2019, with plans to transport commodities like oil, LNG, and fertilisers in the future, potentially reducing transportation time by up to 40 percent.
