Indian Operator of Iran’s Chabahar Port Offering Service to Regional Countries

Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar is open for regional trade. According to Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization, India’s Ports Global Limited has officially taken over the operations at phase 1 of the new Port in the Southeastern port city of Chabahar.

Chabahar serves as Iran's only oceanic port. It consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti. Officials say the Indian company will operate phase 1 of Shahid Beheshti Port for a period of ten years.

After the inauguration of the Ports Global Limited office in Iran, the country leased the operational control of Shahid Beheshti port to India. IPGL conducts operations like loading and unloading, equipment supply and marketing at the port. Delegations from India, Afghanistan and Iran visited the port to assess the infrastructure and investment opportunities as well as its commercial and transit facilities.

Officials also say the port offers the most tariff incentives for ports and maritime services among other ports in the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf regions.

Chabahar is the best spot for transit and trade between India, Afghanistan and other countries in the region, especially the CIS countries. India is participating in the development of the first phase of the Shahid Beheshti Port in cooperation with Iran under a 10-year lease.

The project to develop Shahid Beheshti Port began in 2007 through an investment amounting to $1 billion. The annual cargo tonnage of the port reaches as high as 8.5 million tonnes. India’s Ports global Limited took over the port operations in December 2018 and has been successfully handling cargo since then. 

Last month, Iranian Ambassador to New Delhi Ali Chegeni underlined the importance of Iran's Chabahar port for India to increase its exports to Afghanistan.

Iran’s strategic Chabahar Port is the key to India’s exports to Afghanistan, Chegeni said, addressing a meeting in the Northeastern province of Khorassan Razavi.

He added that India has a great potential to become Iran’s trade partner in various fields.  

India has an area two times bigger than Iran and has a population of more than one billion people which is a big market for Iran, Chegeni said. 

In relevant remarks in September, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referred to the long history of relations between the two countries, and called for the development of bilateral relations in areas of science, economy and research.

During the meeting on the sidelines of 74th UN General Assembly in New York, President Rouhani and Premier Modi exchanged views on bilateral ties.

Pointing to bilateral ties, Rouhani said “As a very important Asian country, India has had long-standing relations with Iran,” adding, “In this regard, we can develop our relations in scientific, research and economic fields between the two countries.”

On the two countries’ efforts to overcome the recent obstacles on the way of banking and energy relations, he appreciated India’s investment in developing the first phase of Chabahar Port, saying, “Today, Iran, India and Afghanistan are enjoying the advantages of this important project, and the region’s current and future generations will benefit from it.”