India-Russia Industrial Partnership Expansion
India’s envoy to Moscow, Vinay Kumar, emphasized a strategic approach termed as 'Making in Russia for India'. This initiative aims to bolster the industrial partnership between India and Russia across several sectors, notably fertilisers, critical minerals, and mining.
Key Sectors and Initiatives
- Fertilisers:
- India and Russia are collaborating on a joint venture urea plant in Russia.
- The plant will produce 2 million tonnes of urea annually, entirely for export to India.
- Russia has become the largest fertiliser supplier to India.
- Mineral Resources and Critical Materials:
- Opportunities exist for joint ventures, facilitating a captive export market for India.
Trade and Workforce Dynamics
- India and Russia are working towards a $100 billion trade target set by their leaders.
- The Indian workforce in Russia has increased to 100,000, signifying stronger bilateral ties.
Supply Chain and Digital Advancements
- A framework is needed to boost bilateral trade, focusing on de-risking and enhancing supply chain resilience.
- India's digital transformation is notable, with the Unified Payment Interface processing over 18 billion transactions monthly, marking it as a significant real-time payment system globally.