Chabahar port to make India capable of bypassing Pakistan, says report

The new deep-sea port on Iran coastline will help New Delhi to meet its energy needs, says Foreign Policy magazine

India's latest ambitions to build a new port complex on Iran coast are set to find the country a path towards needed supplies of energy, Foreign Policy magazine reported on Tuesday.

This was revealed during Indian Prime Minister Narendar Modi’s recent visit to Iran where Chabahar port deals were laid down.

The port deals will help India to establish itself in the reshaping of Central Asia’s economic and diplomatic alliances.



According to the Foreign Policy, the project deals will make India capable of bypassing Pakistan and provide Iran the opportunity to have its first deep-water port.

“It’s meant to ease access to key markets,” says Michael Kugelman, a senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Centre.

The plan if successful will give India the access to natural gas from Iran and other Central Asian countries, as it grows to be one of the biggest energy-consuming countries in the world.

“For India, it’s about economics and energy,” Kugelman added.



But there is not only fortune for India in this programme: closer ties with Iran can make India-US relations complicated.

The United States is keeping a vigilant eye on all developments, it has been learnt by a source.

However, there is not much worry as India will only get trade ties with Iran, rather than military ties with Tehran.

It has also been said, according to the Foreign Policy, that the Chabahar port will make India resume its contact – trade’s or otherwise – with its pre-partition neighbours.