First phase of Chabahar port work over, Iran tells India, eyes Sunday launch 

First phase of Chabahar port work over, Iran tells India, eyes Sunday launch 

Context

New development wrt Chabahar port

What has happened?

Iran has conveyed to India that it has completed the first phase of work on Chabahar port. Tehran plans to inaugurate it on Sunday, with the country’s President Hassan Rouhani and officials from India, Afghanistan and other countries

Backdrop

• India operationalized Chabahar port on October 29^th 2017, and sent the first consignment of wheat to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan
• New Delhi recently started an air freight corridor to Afghanistan, and has sent 981 tonnes of fruit since mid-June this year. But the air corridor has limitations in terms of capacity, and the sea route has economic advantages
• Work on Chabahar port picked up pace after the trilateral agreement on Establishment of International Transport and Transit Corridor was signed during Modi’s visit to Iran in May 2016

Why this new development assumes significance?

The development assumes significance since India’s outreach through Iran is taking place at a time the Donald Trump administration is planning to corner Tehran through diplomatic and economic means.

Relevance of Chabahar port

• Eliminating the need for Pakistan: Pakistan having blocked the land transit to Afghanistan was at the forefront in blocking SAARC motor vehicles transit agreement in November 2014, which forced India to expedite alternative ways to reach Afghanistan
• New opportunities for trade: The Chabahar port is expected to open up new opportunities for trade and transit from and to Afghanistan and enhance trade and commerce between the three countries and the wider region, which includes Central Asia

Why is Chabahar important to India?

1. The first and foremost significance of the Chabahar port is the fact that 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.
2. Chabahar port 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.
3. With Chabahar port being developed and operated by India, Iran also becomes a military ally to India. Chabahar could be used in case China decides to flex its navy muscles by stationing ships in Gwadar port to reckon its upper hand in the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Middle East.
4. With 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. India has already increased its crude purchase from Iran since the West imposed ban on Iran was lifted.
5. Chabahar port will ensure in the establishment of a politically sustainable connectivity between India and Afghanistan. This is will, in turn, lead to better economic ties between the two countries.
6. From a diplomatic perspective, Chabahar port could be used as a point from where humanitarian operations could be coordinated.
7. The Zaranj-Delaram road constructed by India in 2009 can give access to Afghanistan’s Garland Highway, setting up road access to four major cities in Afghanistan – Herat, Kandahar, Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Chabahar & Gwadar ports

Locating Chabahar

Chabahar port, located in Sistan-Balochistan province in the energy-rich Persian Gulf nation’s southern coast, lies outside the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from India’s western coast, bypassing Pakistan