Huge: After Chabahar, India Secures Rights to Operate Sittwe Port in Myanmar

 Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) greenlit a proposal for India Ports Global (IPGL), a joint venture between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Deendayal Port Trust

Digital Desk: India has expanded its overseas port operations with the acquisition of rights to manage the Sittwe Port in Myanmar, marking its second international port venture after Chabahar Port in Iran. 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) greenlit a proposal for India Ports Global (IPGL), a joint venture between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Deendayal Port Trust, to oversee operations at Sittwe Port on the Kaladan River. Established under the Companies Act, 2013, IPGL focuses on developing ports abroad as directed by the Ministry of Shipping (MoS). Currently, IPGL is tasked with equipping and operating terminals at Chabahar Port in Iran.

Sittwe Port is integral to the Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project, connecting Kolkata's seaport to Sittwe via sea routes and further linking Sittwe to Paletwa in Myanmar through the Kaladan river waterway, eventually connecting Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram via road infrastructure. 

This development offers an alternative shipping route to India's northeastern states, reducing both cost and distance from Kolkata to Mizoram. It also mitigates reliance on the vulnerable Siliguri Corridor, colloquially known as the chicken’s neck, squeezed between Bhutan and Bangladesh.

Last year witnessed the inauguration of the Sittwe Port, with Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister Admiral Tin Aung San jointly welcoming the first Indian cargo ship. India's involvement in managing Sittwe Port underscores its strategic engagement in enhancing connectivity and trade relations within the region, promising economic benefits and logistical efficiencies for both nations.