Significance of Chabahar Port

Significance of Chabahar Port

What is  the News?

The opening of the first office of Indian Ports Global Limited at Iran’s Chabahar and the takeover of operations of the Shahid Beheshti port is a milestone in India’s regional connectivity and trade game plan.

Chabahar port opens up a permanent alternative route for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia, given the hurdles in the direct route through Pakistan. It facilitates India’s role in Afghanistan’s development through infrastructure and education projects. And it gives India’s bilateral ties with Iran, a major oil supplier and potential trade market for India.

Where is Chabahar Port located?

• 

  It is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.

• It serves as Iran’s only oceanic port, and consists of two separate ports.
• The port gives access to the energy-rich Persian Gulf nations’ southern coast.

Significance of the Chabahar port

• The major significance is that the India can bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan.
• Chabahar port will boost India’s access to Iran, the key gateway to the International North-South Transport Corridor that has sea, rail and road routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia.
• It will be beneficial to India in countering Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea which China is trying to ensure by helping Pakistan develop the Gwadar port(Gwadar port is less than 400 km from Chabahar by road and 100 km by sea).
• With Chabahar port being developed and operated by India, Iran also becomes a military ally to India.
• Chabahar port becoming functional, there will be a significant boost in the import of iron ore, sugar and rice to India.
• The import cost of oil to India will also see a considerable decline.
• Chabahar port will ensure in the establishment of a politically sustainable connectivity between India and Afghanistan. This will in turn, lead to better economic ties between the two countries.