❖ Russia’s national railway company announced that the country has shipped two coal-laden trains to India via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

❖ For the first time, two trains with Kuzbass coal headed to India along the International North-South Transport Corridor.

❖ The trains set off from the Kemerovo region.

❖ They followed along the eastern branch of the INSTC through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.

❖ The INSTC is a multimodal route that connects St. Petersburg to the port of Mumbai in India across 7,200 kilometers (4,500 miles).

❖ It comprises a railway, road network, and seaports

.❖ INSTC, initially known as the NSTC project, the agreement was signed by Russia, Iran, and India in 2002, making them the founding members.