What is the importance of developing Chabahar Port by India?

(a) India's trade with African countries will enormously increase.
(b) India's relations with oil-producing Arab countries will be strengthened.
(c) India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. ✓ UPSC's answer
(d) Pakistan will facilitate and protect the installation of a gas pipeline between Iraq and India.

Why the answer is (c)

• Chabahar, on Iran's Makran coast in the Gulf of Oman, is being developed by India (agreement 2016, operations from 2018) with road and rail links to Afghanistan (Zaranj–Delaram highway) and the International North–South Transport Corridor.

• Its strategic value is that it gives India a sea–land route to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan, which denies overland transit — option (c).

• It is not primarily about Africa (a) or Arab oil relations (b), and no Iraq–India pipeline via Pakistan exists (d).

• Hence option (c).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) India's trade with African countries will enormously increase.: Chabahar is about Central Asian, not African, access.
(b) India's relations with oil-producing Arab countries will be strengthened.: Iran is not an Arab country; the port is about connectivity.
(d) Pakistan will facilitate and protect the installation of a gas pipeline between Iraq and…: No Iraq–India pipeline via Pakistan exists.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017, held on 18 June 2017. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.