New Delhi — Russia is exploring the possibility of an overland rail connection to India and the Indian Ocean as it looks for alternative trade routes that would reduce dependence on vulnerable maritime chokepoints.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin raised the proposal earlier this month, saying Moscow should examine a railway route to the Indian Ocean as part of efforts to diversify freight transportation.
The proposal was first reported by Russian news agency Tass on Aug. 6. Khusnullin pointed to potential risks surrounding the Bosphorus Strait and the Strait of Hormuz and said alternative routes through countries including Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan should be considered.
“Any options providing access to India are acceptable,” he said.
The idea remains at an exploratory stage but reflects growing interest in trade corridors that can provide alternatives to major shipping routes vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions.
India, one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, imports more than 85 percent of its crude oil needs and has become a major buyer of Russian energy. Russian crude accounted for more than half of India’s oil imports in July as global energy prices rose amid conflict in the Middle East.
A land-based route could offer Moscow another way to reach India and other markets in the Global South while reducing its reliance on shipping routes affected by sanctions, geopolitical tensions and transit restrictions.
Russia has faced heightened trade and transportation constraints since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Bosphorus Strait, which connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean, is controlled by Turkey and remains strategically important for Russian maritime trade.
However, a potential rail corridor running through Afghanistan and Pakistan would face significant political and security challenges. Analysts say instability and strained regional relations could complicate the development of a reliable route to India through those countries.
Despite those obstacles, the proposal highlights Russia’s broader push to develop alternative transportation networks linking it more closely with Central and South Asia. (Source: IANS)
