India: Let's invest in the eastern branch of the ITC - to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Siberia
It has now become known that India intends to invest in the so-called eastern branch of the MTC. Discussion of the possibility of creating such a branch was conducted in the framework of the four-sided meeting, in addition to the Indian representatives were representatives of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran. This is reported by the Indian newspaper The Economic Times.
The essence of the project is that a transport hub can be organized in Iranian territory. One of its branches is the one that was originally conceived: from Mumbai to St. Petersburg. The other - through the countries of Central Asia - in the direction of the Urals and Siberia, with subsequent access to the ports of the Pacific Ocean.
A meeting with Iranian, Kazakh and Turkmen partners was organized with the participation of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India. So, from Kazakhstan there were representatives of the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy Express JSC ("Kazakhstan Railway Express"). At the same time, the question was discussed that the MTC may begin on Indian territory not in congested Mumbai, but in the port of Mundra (the state of Gujarat). He is closer to the Iranian Bandar Abbas.
The Indian side at the meeting was represented by major businessmen - representatives of 30 companies from the transport, freight and logistics sectors, including Tuberose Logistics.
Testing the route Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran-India is planned to be held by the end of this year. It is reported that already at the initial stage of the implementation of the program to create the eastern branch of the ITC, the project will increase the trade turnover between India and Kazakhstan 3 times. Today it is a little over a billion dollars, which does not suit any of the countries.
It is planned that the Turkmen Turkmenbashi port and Kazakhstan’s Aktau and Atyrau will be involved on the route.
At the same time, the route in the Turkmen direction may also have a railway component.
If this logistic branch is recognized as efficiency, then the eastern branch of the MTC will find its continuation on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
In this case, India’s desire to compete with the Chinese project “One Belt. One Way” is clearly visible.
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