iii.
This way India would be able to bypass
Chabahar port vs. Gwadar
A: Chabahar- An Overview
Where is Chabahar?
The port of Chabahar is located in southeastern Iran in the
Gulf of Oman. It is the only Iranian port with direct access to
the ocean. Chabahar is located near the Iran-Pakistan border,
and is a little over 72 Km from the Pakistani port
B: Historical Background
1) Chabahar Port (Persian: ) is
a seaport in Chabahar in located in southeastern Iran, on
the Gulf of Oman. It serves as Iran's only oceanic port, and
consists of two separate ports
named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti, each of which
have five berths. Development of the port was first proposed
in 1973 by the last Shah of Iran, though development was
delayed by the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The first phase of
the port was opened in 1983 during the IranIraq War as Iran
began shifting seaborne trade east towards the Pakistani
border in order to decrease dependency on ports in
the Persian Gulf which were vulnerable to attack by the Iraqi
Air Force
2) India built the port partially in 1990s to gain access to
Central Asia as well as Caucasus regions.
a. The aim behind developing the port is the expansion
of regional trade between India, Iran and
Afghanistan.
b. India and Iran first agreed to plans to further
develop Shahid Beheshti port in 2003, but did not do
so on account of sanctions against Iran.
3) In May 2015, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was
signed by Indias Union Minister Nitin Gadkari with the
Gulf nation to build the port, but he further required to sign a
commercial deal to start the construction.
4) India, Afghanistan and Iran have set the parameters of the
Trilateral Agreement among the three countries on Transport
and Transit Corridors (Chabahar Agreement) after the
second meeting of experts from India, Afghanistan, and Iran
held in New Delhi on April 11, 2015.
5) Current Development:
a. Thus, Narendra Modi when became the first Prime
Minister inked 12 pacts with Iran on 24 May, 2016.
Among these pacts the one which is considered to be
the most important is the one in which both countries
have decided to develop the Chabahar port. India and
Iran signed a bilateral agreement in which India
would refurbish one of the berths at Shahid
Beheshti port, and reconstruct a 600 meter long
container handling facility at the port. The port will
provide an alternative for trade between India and
Afghanistan. The port handled 2.1 million tons of
cargo in 2015, and has a capacity to handle 2.5
million tons. Indian decided to invest $500 million
into developing Irans Chabahar port.
b. Thus, india is developing Chabahar post to get access
to Central Asia through Milak (Iran)-Zaranj-
Dilaram(Afghanistan) roads.
i. India is already in the process of developing
Zaranj and Dilaram roads in Afghanistan,
forming a ring road to connect Central Asia
with the Middle East.
ii. India is also planning to connect to the oil
resources of Turkmenistan by laying a
pipeline through Afghanistan on to Iran and
Gujrat through the Arabian Sea.
Pakistan, which provides a much shorter route
for the Asian Development Banks proposed
project TAPI (TurkmenistanAfghanistan-
Pakistan-India) for transporting the Caspian
Sea gas resources to India without any
potential interruption from Pakistan.
C: Projects on Chabahar Port
Investment :-India Ports Global, a recently formed port project
investment arm will invest $85 million in developing two container
berths with a length of 640 metres and three multi-cargo
berths,which is a huge investment from India.
Rail Link :- IRCON International will set up a railway line at
Chabahar to move goods right up to Afghanistan. The 500-km rail
link between Chabahar and Zahedan will link Delhi to the rest of
Iran's railway network.
Business :-Indian companies would set up a range of industries
from aluminium smelter to urea plants in the region. State-owned
NALCO will set up an aluminium smelter while private and co-
operative fertilizer firms are keen to build urea plants.
C: Significance for India
1. Geo-economic
(i) Would provide an alternative access to trade with Afghanistan
(ii) The port may be used to implement the INSTC project
(iii) The free-trade zone around the port can be an important trade
center with West Asia
2. Geo-political
(i) Reduced dependence of land-locked Afghanistan on Pakistan for
sea-access lowering Pakistans strategic hold on Afghanistan
(ii) Counter Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea through the
support to Pakistan in developing Gwadar port
(iii) Can be used to station security vessels for merchant ships off
the African coast
3. Diplomatic -
(i) Can provide a link promote cultural linkages between India and
Iran
(ii) Can be a center to coordinate humanitarian operations such as
mass evacuation of refugees
(iii) Can provide the diplomatic edge to Indias ambition of
developing a blue-water navy
D: Reasons Gwadar Port Trumps Chabahar
Will India-Iran-Afghanistan troika will give tough
competition to the China-Pakistan axis emerging
at Gwadar port?
In New Delhis latest bid to flex its economic
muscles, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
visited Iran last month and signed an agreement to
develop the $500 million Chabahar port.
The port, if materialized, would be a gateway for
Indian goods into Central Asia. This is indeed a
remarkable agreement but every strategic move faces
strategic impediments, and Chabahar is no exception.
Only 72 kilometers away lies Pakistans Gwadar
port, which itself holds greater significance and
 poses tangible economic, commercial, and
strategic challenges to Chabahar. Here are ways
Gwadar outflanks Chabahar:
1. Inexperience Gwadar vs Chabahar:
a. Chabahar: This is the first time India has plunged
into a foreign port development venture with such
vigor.
i. Chabahar is a geographical reach for New
Delhi, since it is not in the Indian Ocean
Region (IOR) where India not only has
several functional ports (Mumbai, Kolkata,
and Goa) but has the shield of Indian Navy
also.
ii. In Chabahar India would be a guest state,
whose borders and territorial waters are at a
much greater distance.
b. Gwadar: On the contrary, Gwadar is not only
developed by China which has a wealth of
experience in overseas infrastructure projects but
the government of Pakistan has handed over the
control of port to China.
2. Security:
a. Chabahar: After Chabahar in Iran, the next stop for
Indian goods will be Afghanistan, and then
subsequently to the Central Asian states.
i. Although India has enjoyed cordial terms
with the successive post-2001 governments of
Afghanistan, the security situation is
inadequate in major areas. The Afghan
Mujahideen which hold Southern region do
not have any commonality of interest with
India
ii. Besides, the Taliban, the major insurgent
group in Afghanistan has no love for India,
since the latter historically supported the
anti-Taliban Northern Alliance.
b. Gwadar: Gwadar too is witnessing security issues,
since Balochistan province is subject to low-scale
belligerency.
i. Still, the scope and extent of separatist brawls
in the area have decreased in recent years
while many militant groups have
voluntarily surrendered to security agencies.
3. The Iran Question
E: Critical Analysis
a. Chabahar: Iran recently launched a nuclear-capable
missile, violating a UN Security Council resolution
(which prohibits any Iranian nuclear launch or test).
i. Further, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei has vowed that Iran will not
cooperate with America over the regional
crisis, their aims in the region are 180 degrees
opposed to Irans.
ii. Given this scenario, the prospect of lifting of
all sanctions on Iran is again in doubt.
iii. The uncertainty regarding sanctions could
undeniably have negative consequences for
the India-Iran Chabahar deal.
b. Gwadar: Gwadar has no such problems.
i. There are no restrictions on Chinas
investment anywhere nor is Pakistan subject
to any kind of UN sanctions.
ii. Furthermore, China holds veto power on the
UN Security Council thus even in the case
of a proposed resolution that could impact
Gwadar, China could veto the move and
continue its economic ventures with Pakistan.
4. The Afghanistan Pressure Point
a. Chabahar: Despite enhanced Indo-Afghan
diplomatic, political, and economic connections,
Pakistans role and influence in Afghanistan has not
withered.
i. Though the central government of
Afghanistan leans more toward India,
however, according to some sources Pakistan
has connections with several ethnic groups
who represent a major portion of Afghan
society.
ii. Additionally, Pakistan and China are
vigorously working together on the $46
billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC), which culminates in Gwadar. China
would not want such a huge investment going
to waste.
b. Gwadar: Pakistan could also see an India-Iran
covert partnership to cause dysfunction in Gwadar,
but Tehran would likely refrain as it is trying to
pacify relations with its neighbors and the
international community in the wake of 2015
agreement.
i. Any entanglement with Pakistan would also
endanger the eastern border of Iran.
ii. Moreover, Irani Ambassador Mehdi
Honardoust has confirmed that Iran is
desirous of participating in the (CPEC)
5. Capacity
a. Chabahar: The maximum planned capacity
of Chabahar port is 10-12 million tons of cargo per
annum.
b. Gwadar: Compared to that Gwadar alone shall have
the capacity to handle 400 million tons of cargo per
annum.
6. Geographical location Edge
a. Chabahar: Chabahar is not located in the Indian
Ocean Region where Indias other functional ports
like; Mumbai, Kolkata and Goa are located having
the cover of the Indian Navy to ensure their maritime
operations.
b. Gwadar: Gwadar holds an edge over Chahbahar for
its utility, geographic location to dominate the
maritime waters, and its proximity with China due to
the road link.
Whether Gwadar or Chabahar, the developments of both
ports can assist millions of people.
o Gwadar may well hold a slight edge because of its
importance and utility, but it can produce best results
only when there are no major regional threats.
o The same goes for Chabahar.
Economic cooperation and integration is whats needed in
South Asia and even beyond.
o That, however, demands enhanced cooperation
among all involved parties and the dissolution of all
outstanding strategic and political misunderstandings.
The CPEC which is already well on the road to success, is a
natural alliance between two neighboring countries
o whereas the Chahbahar agreement is a very ambitious
plan by India for which she has to face difficulties at
all stages.
Its time for India to redefine her priorities in the region in
the changing world of today.
o India can undoubtedly benefit from the shortest route to
Central Asia through Pakistan provided she makes an
effort to remove her irritants with Pakistan by resolving
the Kashmir problem and abandoning the traditional
animosity with Pakistan and live like good neighbors
rather than investing in ambitious projects to undermine
Pakistan.