Chabahar port deal a step forward but questions remain

The 7,200 km INSTC project was conceived in 2002 to reduce the time and cost of moving cargo from India to Russia via Iran. More countries have now joined but the progress is very slow

Last Monday, India Ports Global Ltd (IPGL), a subsidiary of the government-owned Sagarmala Development Company Ltd and Ports and Maritime Organisation of Iran entered into an agreement to let IPGL operate 5 berths at the Shahid Beheshti terminal of the Chabahar Port, Iran, for the next 10 years. For developing the infrastructure and installing the necessary equipment at the terminal, IPGL will invest $120 million and a credit line of $250 million will also be arranged. The government has said the Chabahar model will be replicated elsewhere.
 

While this project may have some geopolitical strategic significance, the government has also