Ashwini Vaishnaw meets Russian Deputy PM, discusses rare earth metals and infrastructure

IANS June 20, 2025 289 views

Ashwini Vaishnaw met Russian Deputy PM Alexei Overchuk to discuss rare earth metals and infrastructure collaboration. The meeting took place during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Earlier, Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s largest multi-modal auto cargo terminal in Manesar. The new rail link is part of the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor, boosting logistics efficiency.

"Had a productive meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk. We discussed key areas of collaboration including transport, connectivity, infrastructure, and rare earth metals." – Ashwini Vaishnaw
New Delhi, June 19: Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk on Thursday.

Key Points

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Vaishnaw meets Russian Deputy PM to boost transport and rare earth ties

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India inaugurates largest auto cargo terminal in Manesar

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Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor to enhance logistics efficiency

4

SPIEF 2025 hosts high-level India-Russia economic discussions

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk on Thursday. The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation in areas such as transport, connectivity, infrastructure, and rare earth metals.

Taking to social media platform X, Vaishnaw said: "Had a productive meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk. We discussed key areas of collaboration including transport, connectivity, infrastructure, and rare earth metals".

The high-level meeting took place in St. Petersburg.

According to a post shared by the Consulate General of India in St. Petersburg, the Union Minister is currently in Russia to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), which began on June 18 and will continue until June 21.

Before heading to Russia, the Minister inaugurated India’s largest multi-modal automobile cargo terminal at the Maruti Suzuki India Limited plant in Manesar, Haryana, on June 17.

The newly inaugurated Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal is expected to significantly boost logistics efficiency for automobile transport.

The Manesar plant is now connected to the Patli railway station via a 10-kilometre rail link.

This link is a key part of the 121.7-kilometre-long Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor, currently being developed by the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC).

An investment of Rs 800 crore has been made for the construction of this 10-kilometre rail link, with the HRIDC contributing Rs 684 crore and the remainder funded by Maruti Suzuki.

With a loading capacity of 4.5 lakh automobiles annually, this is now the largest cargo terminal of its kind in India.

During the inauguration, Vaishnaw emphasised the transformation in Indian Railways over the past decade.

“Before 2014, the annual railway budget was around Rs 24,000–Rs 25,000 crore. Today, it has risen to Rs 2.5 lakh crore,” he stated.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Good to see India strengthening ties with Russia in strategic sectors. Rare earth metals are crucial for our electronics and defense industries. Hope this leads to more self-reliance in these critical areas. 🇮🇳
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Priya M.
The Gati Shakti terminal inauguration before this Russia visit shows our focus on both domestic infrastructure and international partnerships. Railways transformation under this government is truly remarkable! ✨
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Arjun S.
While I appreciate the focus on infrastructure, I hope these rare earth metal discussions include environmental safeguards. We've seen how mining can damage ecosystems. Development should be sustainable.
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Neha T.
Russia has been a reliable partner for India for decades. In these uncertain global times, it's wise to deepen this relationship, especially for critical minerals and transport tech. More power to our diplomats!
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Sanjay R.
The railway budget increase from 25k to 2.5L crore is impressive, but I hope the quality matches the quantity. We still see too many accidents. Safety should be priority number one.
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Kavita P.
Multitasking minister handling railways, IT and I&B! Hope these Russia talks bring concrete benefits for Make in India in electronics manufacturing. We need to reduce Chinese dependency.

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Tags:
Ashwini Vaishnaw Russia-India relations rare earth metals infrastructure SPIEF 2025 Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor