Why is chabahar port important to India ?

Hello aspirants, in this post we will go through the topic which is vital for SSB from GD to the lecturette point of view. This topic is such; if you haven’t read about this, it will be difficult to speak about it and contribute any point in GD or lecturette.

Where is Chabahar port located?

• Iran's Chabahar Port is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.
• It serves as Iran's only oceanic port and consists of two separate ports.
• It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the Indian Ocean.
• Being close to Afghanistan and the Central Asian countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, it has been termed the "Golden Gate" to these land-locked countries.
• Mumbai in India is 1,560 km away from the port.

What is it important?

1. Relations

    

• 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 establish politically sustainable connectivity between India and Afghanistan.

• In turn, it will lead to better economic ties between the two countries.

2. Connectivity
   

• The Port will boost India's access to Iran which is the critical gateway to the International North-South Transport Corridor.

• That has sea, rail and road routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia.

3. Military
   

• 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.

• Chabahar port being developed and operated by India, Iran also becomes a military ally to India.

• China decides to flex its navy muscles by stationing ships in Gwadar port to reckon its upper hand in the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf and the Middle East this port will be useful to counter it.

4. Trade
   

• 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. 
• New Delhi is Tehran's second-biggest oil client after Beijing.

This post will give you enough information about the topic to speak confidently and will definitely be helpful in your SSB preparation.