Have you heard about the significance of the Chabahar port for India and its involvement in India’s development?
Let me explain to you in very simple language so that you can understand easily
What is Chabahar Port?
The image depicts the Chabahar Port location ( Source – The Jamestown Foundation Wikipedia page).
Chabahar Port is located at the mouth of the Gulf of Oman in Iran, it is the country’s first deepwater port, and it holds strategic importance for both Iran and India, it offers an alternative trade route bypassing Pakistan and connecting Iran of Afghanistan, and central Asia.
India’s involvement in Chabahar Port is not new it has been since 2002 when a discussion between Indian and Iranian officials, It displayed when the trilateral agreement between India, Iran, and Afghanistan in 2016. India’s emphasized the development of Shahid Beheshi port within the Chabahar project.
Why does Chabahar Port matter for India?
It serves multiple purposes including offering access to Iran for global trade and offering Indias a gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia As you know it has a hostile neighbour and it is not possible right now to connect directly with Afghanistan through khyber pass.
It is also part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), enhancing connectivity between the Indian ocean ,Caspian sea, and Europe.
Advantages and Disadvantages
If you talk about the advantages of Chabahar Port as it bypasses Pakistan for trade with Afghanistan, it also helps in regional connectivity and offers an alternative to China’s Gwadar Port, But there are challenges as well such as geopolitical tensions, Us has sanctioned Iran, and there is Taliban rule in Afghanistan or you can say instability in Afghanistan these challenges hinder its development.
Way Forward
Although there are challenges you should always keep in mind its potential benefits :
- India and iran should come close and navigate geopolitical complexities, they should enhance diplomatic efforts and the streamline projects so that they can realize its full potential .
- Both countries should invest in infrastructure, should work on regional cooperation, and should leverage the international partnership.