India has shown strong interest in commercial cooperation with Greece in the sectors of shipping and transport. Specifically, the Indians are planning to develop their own “Silk Road”, as the Chinese are already doing with the “Belt and Road Initiative”, in order to connect India commercially with the Middle East and Europe. For this reason, they have held discussions with the Greek side to find a port-gateway for the Indians to Europe.
However, the recent trip of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accompanied by a large Greek delegation to India has not yet brought any tangible results in this direction.
Instead, according to reports, there was clear interest in high technology, pharmaceuticals and tourism.
According to sources, the Indians do want a port in Greece in the future, but they have not expressed any specific interest. Because apart from Piraeus, the same sources explained, they consider all the rest to be of very small potential in relation to the size of India’s economy.
In response to a question from “Naftemporiki” regarding potential negotiations with the port of Piraeus, which is owned by the Chinese Cosco, and which has the dimensions that the Indians want, it was pointed out that it would be very difficult for the Chinese and the Indians to work together to promote two competing “trade routes” connecting Asia with Europe, despite the fact that they are characterized as complementary.
In addition to the ports, the Indians want to develop large logistics centers in the Balkans, but without further details, as well as to use airports for cargo loads. And this is because they target the markets of Central and Northern Europe mainly.
In this scenario, however, the “eyes” will turn on the ports of Northern Greece.
Charters
However, there was strong interest in shipping and the Greek-owned fleet. Indian shipping companies have adopted a model of chartering merchant vessels from third-party shipowners rather than acquiring their own fleets. Something that has attracted the interest of the Greek shipping industry.
A model, however, that is different from the Chinese one, which is constantly increasing its fleet of all types of ships.
Shipping circles pointed out to “Naftemporiki” that the Chinese, in addition to the products and cargo they import and export, also have the largest shipbuilding industry in the world, which explains the rapid development of their fleet.
On their part, the Indians are gradually developing their shipbuilding industry. At this stage, they are focusing on the country’s Navy, but according to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they plan within the next decade to make their country one of the five strongest in the world in terms of shipbuilding and ship repair.
If the plan is implemented, India will be an alternative solution for Greek shipowners’ orders.
The economic corridor
The new economic corridor that India wants to develop will involve transport by land and sea to the Middle East, and from the Middle East to the Mediterranean with Central and Northern Europe as final destination.
If implemented, it will pass through countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel, before reaching European territories.
It should be noted that Greece has the best position on the map for the implementation of the above mentioned plan, provided, however, that it is in the right place at the right time.
