CHABAHAR PORT

About:

• Location: Chabahar is located in the Sistan, Baluchistan province of Iran in the Gulf of Oman.
  
  
• Ports: Chabahar Port project consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti, each of which has five berths.
  
  
• Significance for India:
  • The port is being considered as a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries, besides increasing trade among the three countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi.
    
    
  • Developing the port is understood to be a major breakthrough for India's trade with West Asia.
    
    
  • It gives India a foothold in the western Arabian Sea, which is important as many of its energy imports pass through the route.
    
    
  
  
  

Recent development:

• The Government of India took over the operations of a part of Shahid Beheshti Port, Chabahar in Iran during the Chabahar Trilateral Agreement meeting held there on the 24th of December 2018.
  
  
• The heads of Indian, Iranian and Afghanistan delegation jointly inaugurated the office of the Indian SPV - India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ), at Chabahar.
  
  
• The physical take-over of the terminal area, cargo handling equipment and Office building was completed by 29th December 2018. Commercial operations began at IPGCFZ with the arrival of a vessel on 30^th December 2018.
  
  
• This is the first time India will be operating a port outside its territories.