Gurgaon, Aug. 13 -- Former Indian Ambassador to Russia, Ajai Malhotra, on Thursday backed the expansion of the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor into a wider connectivity network through the Bering Strait, Northern Sea Route, and Northern Europe, calling it a huge opportunity for India.

In an interview with ANI, Malhotra said the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor should not be viewed as an isolated India-Russia shipping project and could serve as a southern entry point for a much larger maritime network.

"Yes, indeed. I have backed it for a long (time). The Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor should not be viewed as an isolated India-Russia shipping project," Malhotra said.

Recalling an earlier effort, he said, "In 1993, we d...