What is the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC)?

About Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC)

• The EMC is a proposed sea route between the Indian port of Chennai and the Russian port of Vladivostok.
• The corridor is estimated to bring down transportation time between Indian and Russian ports of the Far East Region by up to 40 per cent (24 days from the current 40 days).
• Present trade route between Mumbai in India and St. Petersburg in Russia covers a distance of 8,675 nautical miles.
• The EMC will cover a distance of about 5,600 nautical miles, which is significantly shorter than the current route via the Suez Canal.
• Once complete, EMC will take 24 days, down from presently over 40 days, to transport goods from India to Far East Russia.
• For India, it will provide a shorter and more efficient route to access the markets of the Far East, such as China and Japan.

Key Facts about Vladivostok:

• Vladivostok is a major city in Russia, located in the Far East of the country.
• It is located on the Golden Horn Bay north of North Korea and a short distance from Russia’s border with China.
• It is the largest port on Russia’s Pacific coast, and home to the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy.
• It is the eastern railhead of the legendary Trans Siberian Railway, which connects the Far East of Russia to the capital Moscow, and further west to the countries of Europe. 
• At Vladivostok’s massive port, shipping and commercial fishing are the main commercial activities.

Q1) What is the Suez Canal?

The Suez Canal is an artificial waterway located in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It is one of the most critical and historically significant maritime passages in the world. The Suez Canal runs through the Isthmus of Suez, a narrow strip of land in northeastern Egypt that separates the African continent from the Sinai Peninsula.

Source: India-Russia mull speedy operations on new sea route