The Third Working Group meeting on Chabahar Port between India, Iran and Uzbekistan was held on 22 November 2024 in Mumbai. A delegation from the Afghanistan Chambers of Commerce also attended the meeting as a special invitee.
During the meeting, participants emphasized the importance of Chabahar Port in supporting Afghanistan’s reconstruction and economic development, as well as providing an alternate trade corridor to Central Asia. They also noted the increase in transit traffic through Chabahar Port and discussed ways to enhance regional connectivity.
The meeting was followed by interaction with the members of the business community. A presentation on the operations of Shahid Beheshti Terminal, Chabahar Port highlighting the facilities being offered for transit, was delivered by India Ports Global Limited (IPGL). During the interaction, traders expressed keen interest in utilizing the Chabahar Port for trade and transit. The business community was encouraged to come forward with suggestions to further enhance the trade and transit through the port to realize its full potential.
IPGL through its wholly owned subsidiary, India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ), took over the operations of the Chabahar Port on 24 December 2018. Since then, the port has handled over 450 vessels, 1,34,082 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent) of containerized cargo and more than 8.7 million tons of bulk cargo. There has been an increase of 1200% increase of containers handled during the last financial year.
It was decided to hold the next edition of the Working Group meeting at a mutually convenient date and venue.