 "Exclusive | India's Arctic ambitions: Milind Deora advocates for climate awareness & strategic engagement")
At the recently concluded Arctic Circle India Forum in New Delhi, a significant spotlight was cast on India’s evolving engagement with the Arctic region.
The event held on May 3-4, co-hosted by the Arctic Circle and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), in collaboration with India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Earth Sciences, brought together global leaders, scientists and policymakers to discuss “The Polar Order: The Arctic and Asia | Science - Geopolitics - Climate - Business.”
Among the key voices was Milind Deora, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, and advisory board member of the Arctic Circle. In an exclusive conversation with Firstpost’s Anmol Singla on the sidelines of the event, Deora stressed the imperative for India to deepen its Arctic engagement, both scientifically and geopolitically.
“I’ve been associated with the Arctic for almost 20 years,” Deora shared.
Deora has been a frequent visitor to Iceland and other Arctic nations, engaging with stakeholders who are working on climate resilience-related fields.
“I’ve been trying to draw India’s attention to the vast potential of the Arctic from a research point of view, environmental research point of view, from a geo-economic point of view, and a geopolitical point of view. And it’s taken a long time but I feel very pleased and privileged that through a forum like this we’ve received such overwhelming participation,” he told Firstpost.
Deora also said that this was an area where unlike other areas of engagement, the government needed to spearhead a proactive approach rather than the private sector taking the lead.
Need to elevate climate awareness in India
Deora highlighted the need to elevate Arctic issues within India’s domestic discourse. He pointed out the direct implications of Arctic changes on India’s climate patterns, particularly the monsoon, which is vital for the country’s agriculture and water resources.
“Until these things become political issues, you don’t see public support and public participation,” he noted. “We need to educate the public, bring more awareness, and that’s when we’ll see a sea change, no pun intended.”
In a session titled, ‘Vision from the Indian Parliament’ where Deora along with Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur engaged with former Prime Minister of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, chairman of the Arctic Circle — Grímsson mandated both the parliamentarians to lead a cross-party parliamentary delegation to Iceland for the Arctic Assembly later this year.
Next up!
— Arctic Circle (@_Arctic_Circle) May 3, 2025
VISION FROM THE INDIAN PARLIAMENT👀https://t.co/IIseD2RE2C
There are many questions that link India to the Arctic. An understanding that was established time and again in this forum was that what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic, and that it has implications all over the globe.
Highlighting this, the 48-year-old who hails from Mumbai reflected, “So for me, one of the challenges has been how do you understand what’s happening in the Arctic, whether it’s the fact that ice is melting, how is that impacting India’s weather patterns? How is that impacting not just the Himalayan region, but how is that impacting a city like Mumbai? What is the correlation between the two? Between ice melting, sea levels rising in Mumbai, what does that do to people who live in buildings or in slums along the coast? And those are the kind of issues that we have to sort of focus on to make it a political issue.”
According to a 2024 study by Bengaluru-based think tank Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), 10 per cent of the land in Mumbai, Panjim and Chennai will be at risk of inundation due to rising sea levels by 2040 .
India needs to look to the Arctic more
India’s Arctic Policy, released in March 2022, outlines six pillars: Science and Research, Climate and Environmental Protection, Economic and Human Development, Transportation and Connectivity, Governance and International Cooperation, and National Capacity Building.
As a member of @_Arctic_Circle’s Advisory Board, I’m so glad to see the Arctic Circle finally launch its India Forum in partnership with @orfonline. Grateful to former Icelandic President @ORGrimsson for his leadership in bringing India closer to the #Arctic. I joined a panel… pic.twitter.com/ceNuShv3th
— Milind Deora | मिलिंद देवरा (@milinddeora) May 3, 2025
Deora also pointed out the strategic importance of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), which could offer shorter shipping lanes between Europe and Asia. “While the whole world’s focus and attention is on the South China Sea, should India not be focused on the Northern Sea Route?” he questioned.
The NSR, also called the Northeast Passage, is a shipping corridor through the Arctic Ocean that links the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, offering a shorter path between Europe and Asia than conventional routes like the Suez or Panama Canals.
India as a potential bridge builder
India’s collaboration with Russia in the Arctic has been a focal point, with joint research initiatives and discussions on developing the NSR. However, geopolitical tensions have complicated multilateral engagements.
Following Russia's war in Ukraine , there has been a significant divide between Moscow and the rest of the Arctic nations, all of which are also part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).
Despite these challenges, India continues to advocate for a balanced approach, highlighting dialogue and cooperation. “I think that’s something which is an area of immense opportunity for India to use its leadership role and its multilateral approach towards foreign policy to work with countries during a very hostile time in Europe and to bridge differences, to be in some ways, I wouldn’t use the word intermediary, but in some ways a bridge builder and a facilitator of a dialogue. So I think India has a very unique role to play in that," Deora stated.
In the context of the current diplomatic situation in Europe, Deora told Firstpost, “It will be unique to see how Arctic nations, given how polarised Europe is vis-à-vis Russia, how they are able to politically sell it to their public that they’re willing to engage in dialogue, if not for their borders, at least when it comes to issues like cooperation in the Arctic.”
“We should not forget that during the peak of the Cold War, the US and Russia were able to partner together in Space. So these are things where people can overcome differences.”
"Arctic Circle is finally here in India!"
— Arctic Circle (@_Arctic_Circle) May 3, 2025
"I'm excited for India to bring its track record of #multiculturalism and its role as an important representative and global voice of the #GlobalSouth to the #Arctic." #IndiaForum🌏@milinddeora, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, India pic.twitter.com/DV17qP7kW5
As India prepares for potential high-level engagements with Nordic countries, including a scheduled visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Oslo , the Arctic is poised to become a significant area of collaboration.
Deora expressed confidence that Arctic issues will feature prominently in India’s foreign policy agenda. “I’m very certain that a big part of the thrust from India will be around the Arctic,” he affirmed.
India’s expanding engagement in the Arctic evidenced at the Arctic Circle India Forum shows that as New Delhi’s strategic importance increases on the global stage, developments occurring in all corners of the globe have consequences for the Indian subcontinent — and the importance of the Arctic should be acknowledged by every Indian.
The 2025 Arctic Circle Assembly will be held in the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre, Reykjavík, Iceland, on October 16-18.
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