India-UAE Maritime Link Kicks Off: First Phase of IMEC Project Underway

Operationalization of the first leg between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project is in progress, nine months after its launch. The first stage concentrates on standardizing protocols for travel, vessel, and customs-related clearance between two ports in the United Arab Emirates (Jebel Ali and Fujairah) and three ports on the western coast of India (Mundra, Kandla, and Nhava Sheva). India has given itself 100 days to finish this process. The intention is to guarantee that a document uploaded at an Indian port will be recognised by UAE port officials without requiring resubmission. A virtual platform would enable this smooth document exchange, establishing a free trade area and enhancing company convenience. Aligning customs processes between ports on both sides is the second step. Shipping lanes operate between ports in India and the United Arab Emirates, however, they are not yet seamless and require clearance at both ends. Several phased actions are being planned to optimise port-to-port operations. The IMEC project was introduced at the G-20 Summit in New Delhi and entails rail transport to Jordan, sea transport to Turkey, and additional rail transport to Europe after transiting by sea between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and India. Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited (RITES) will conduct a