India Eyes Arctic LNG Purchases Amid Deeper Ties with Russia

India is considering purchasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Arctic region as part of its strategy to diversify energy sources, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko.

This move comes amid New Delhi's push to deepen energy and logistics cooperation with Russia. As part of this effort, Indian companies are involved in several major Russian oil and gas projects, including the Vankorneft and Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha projects, as well as the Sakhalin-1 project.

The countries initiated a program for bilateral cooperation in trade, economic, and investment in the Russian Far East in 2024. This program aims to continue until 2029 and includes cooperation in the Arctic zone.

Russia and India are also exploring options for increasing shipping along the Vladivostok-Chennai maritime route and studying the possibility of joint development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR).