Chabahar Port: Location, Agreement, Significance

Chabahar Port , developed and jointly operated by India and Iran, is a strategically located seaport along the Gulf of Oman in southeastern Iran. It serves as a critical gateway, offering direct maritime access to landlocked Central Asian countries and strengthening trade ties between India, Afghanistan, and Iran.

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Chabahar Port

Facts About Chabahar Port

• Location: Chabahar Port is located in Iran on the Gulf of Oman, southeastern coast.
• Significance: Developed with Indian aid, it serves as Iran’s first deepwater port, enhancing trade routes to Central Asia, Afghanistan, and beyond.
• Development Partners : India has played a central role in developing and managing the port, in collaboration with Iran. A trilateral agreement with Afghanistan was signed in 2016 to use Chabahar as a transit hub for Afghan trade.
• Facilities: Chabahar includes two main ports—Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti—with modern cargo handling infrastructure.
• Chabahar Port Operated by: I ndia Ports Global Private Limited (IPGPL) is responsible for operating a section of the port, specifically the Shahid Beheshti terminal.
• Strategic Advantage: It provides an alternative route to bypass Pakistan, giving India direct access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

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Chabahar Port Agreement

International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

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Importance of Chabahar Port for India

• Strategic Bypass: Chabahar offers India a way to trade with Afghanistan without needing to go through Pakistan, which has often blocked access to Indian goods.
• Gateway to Central Asia: The port opens new trade routes for India to enter the Central Asian market, facilitating economic partnerships with landlocked countries rich in natural resources like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
• Crucial Foothold in the Sea: With close proximity to Gwadar, a port in Pakistan developed by China, Chabahar Port gives India a strategic advantage in the Arabian Sea.
• Countering China’s Influence: China’s involvement in Gwadar has strategic implications, and Chabahar provides India with a counterbalance.
• Energy Access: With Iran’s vast energy reserves, Chabahar offers India an alternative source of energy and a means to reduce its reliance on oil from other countries.