India delivers second shipping equipment batch to Iran

In January this year, India had supplied a consignment of two mobile harbour cranes to the Chabahar port, having a total contract value of over $25 million.

Located in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich Iran's southern coast, the port is being developed jointly by India, Iran and Afghanistan. The three countries had signed a tripartite agreement on developing the Chabahar port and setting up a trilateral transport and transit corridor in 2016. India then set up India Ports Global Limited to operate the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar.

Last month, MoPSW Additional had said two more cranes are standing for loading near the port near Venice, which will reach by March-end to the Chabahar port. The ministry had said two more cranes would be supplied to the port by the end of June.

After delivering mobile harbour cranes, the ministry now plans to procure rail-mounted cranes for which bidding is going on.

Till 31 January 2021, around 123 vessels had berthed at the terminal, and approximately 13,752 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and 18 lakh tonne of bulk and general cargo had been handled there.

The bilateral contract between India and Iran was signed on 23 May 2016, with a total value of $85 million ?for equipping, mechanising and starting operations at the port under the first phase. In this regard, a special purpose vehicle?India Ports Global Ltd (IPGL), Mumbai, was incorporated under the shipping ministry.

The Chabahar port's location has a strategic advantage and high potential to provide connectivity among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, especially Eastern CIS nations and boost trade.

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Also read: India delivers first batch of heavy cranes to bolster operations at Chabahar port