India Hopeful Of Making Chabahar Port Operational By 2018

India is hopeful that Iran's Chabahar Port, which is of strategic importance to New Delhi, will be operational by 2018, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said. The minister is in Tehran to represent India at the oath taking ceremony of President Hassan Rouhani.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier congratulated Rouhani on his re-election as the president of Iran and affirmed India's commitment to strengthen the special relations between the countries.

"India and Iran have been historically sharing special ties ... We are keen on developing the Chabahar Port and are hopeful of starting operations in 12 to 18 months," Gadkari told PTI.

Gadkari is keen on expediting development of the Chabahar port, located in the Sistan-Baluchistan province on the energy-rich Persian Gulf nation's southern coast that can be easily accessed from India's west coast, bypassing Pakistan.

The visit assumes significance as India has accelerated work at the port and finalised some tenders for installation of key equipment.

The minister said that he was also hopeful of certain approvals from the Iranian government for expediting the work and Chabahar, after it becomes operational, will boost trade and business between the two countries.

For greater trade and investment flow with Iran and neighbouring countries, the Union Cabinet last year cleared proposals for development of Chabahar port including through a $150 million credit from Exim Bank.

It also authorised the shipping ministry to form a company in Iran for executing the port project.

As per the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two nations in May last year, India is to equip and operate two berths in Chabahar Port Phase-I with capital investment of $85.21 million and annual revenue expenditure of $22.95 million on a 10-year lease.

Ownership of equipment will be transferred to the Iranian side on completion of 10 years or for an extended period, based on mutual agreement. The Iranian side had requested for provision of credit of $150 million in accordance with the MoU.

As per the pact, operations of two berths are to commence within a period of maximum 18 months after the signing of the contract.

Besides the bilateral pact to develop the Chabahar port, for which India will invest $500 million, a trilateral Agreement on Transport and Transit Corridor has also been signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran.