The recent “Chabahar Day” event, held during the Maritime India summit, saw India express its intent to include the Chabahar port in the 13-nation International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The country also proposed expanding INSTC membership, inviting Afghanistan and Uzbekistan to join. The summit facilitated discussions between several regional officials, including infrastructure Ministers from Afghanistan, Armenia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan.
India Proposes Enhancements to INSTC
India proposed the inclusion of Iran’s biggest port, Chabahar, in the INSTC, currently routed via Bandar Abbas. The recommended land route would include Kabul in Afghanistan and Tashkent in Uzbekistan, forming what India referred to as the INSTC’s “Eastern corridor”. This move may have been influenced by the Biden administration’s push for restoring talks with Iran on the JCPOA nuclear agreement, potentially leading to the easing of some sanctions. India also stressed the role that Chabahar has played in recent years as a conduit for Indian humanitarian aid and emergency supplies to Afghanistan and Iran.
Geographical and Strategic Significance of Chabahar Port
Located on the Gulf of Oman, Chabahar port is just 72 km away from China-developed Gwadar port in Pakistan. It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the Indian ocean, making it a vital asset in terms of trade reach and connectivity. The port is split into two distinct parts – Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari.
In 2016, a tripartite agreement was signed among Afghanistan, Iran, and India to further develop Chabahar port and establish a trilateral transport and transit corridor. For India, this port represents a key component of their plans to increase connectivity to Afghanistan and Central Asian states, as well as to counter China and Pakistan’s growing cooperation through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Gwadar port, both part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Benefits of Chabahar Port to India, Afghanistan, and Central Asia
India’s connectivity to Chabahar port opens an alternative trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. It represents a key element in India’s Indo-Pacific strategy which envisages connecting Eurasia with the Indian Ocean Region.
For Afghanistan, it boosts India’s role in its development through infrastructure and education projects. Furthermore, it allows Afghanistan to have a commercial fleet under the Afghan flag sailing from Chabahar.
Central Asian countries like Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan also see Chabahar Port as their gateway to the Indian Ocean Region, enabling easier access to trade opportunities and strategic alliances.
About the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
The INSTC is a multi-modal transportation system established on 12th September 2000 in St. Petersburg by Iran, Russia, and India. It aims to promote transportation collaboration among member states.
Later expanded to incorporate eleven new members, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Oman, Syria, and Bulgaria (Observer), the INSTC envisages a 7200-km-long network for transporting freight via ship, rail, and road routes. The goal is to reduce carriage costs between India and Russia by approximately 30% and cut transit time from 40 days by over half.
This corridor connects the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran, continuing to St. Petersburg and Northern Europe via Russia.
