This corridor will connect Europe, the Middle East, and Asia through railways and the sea.

The key objectives of this ambitious project are to connect commercial hubs, support the development and export of clean energy, and expand undersea cables, energy grids, and telecommunication lines.

The proposed corridor will comprise two separate corridors, the Eastern Corridor, and the Northern Corridor. The former will connect India to the Arabian Gulf and the latter will connect the Arabian Gulf to Europe.

Who Are the Members?

Apart from India, the other participants will include Saudi Arabia, UAE, France, Germany, Italy, USA, and the European Union.

It’s Purpose

• The arrangement will include a railway route that, upon completion, will provide a reliable and cost-effective cross-border ship-to-rail transit network to supplement existing maritime and road transport routes. This will enable goods and services to transit to, from, and between India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe.
• Along the railway track, the members want to lay a cable for energy and digital connectivity, as well as a pipe for clean hydrogen export.
• This corridor will safeguard regional supply chains, boost trade accessibility, and enable a greater emphasis on environmental, social, and governance consequences.
• It will be designed to increase efficiencies, save costs, promote economic cohesion, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, leading to a radical integration of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
• The corridor “fills a damaging global gap and enables greater prosperity and better connectivity for key regions around the world”.
• The project will allow the countries involved to play a key role in the “global connective tissue of commerce, of digital communications, of energy.

What will be the benefit to India?

• The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor will help in promoting food security and supply chain between developing countries. According to the MoU, this corridor will include an East Corridor connecting India to the Arabian Gulf and a North Corridor connecting the Arabian Gulf to Europe.
• The project will feature a railway network that will complement the existing sea and road routes.
• Plans for laying electric cables and clean hydrogen pipelines have also been included in this railway route, passing mainly through the Middle East.
• The project aims to enable greater trade between the countries involved, including in energy products.
• This project is being seen as an alternative to China’s huge Belt and Road Initiative Project.
• Under the Belt and Road Initiative project, China tried to connect most parts of the world with China’s economy.

Crucial Geographical Advantage for India

• The ‘India-Middle East-Europe Shipping and Railway Connectivity Corridor’ (IMEE EC) holds immense promise for India, firmly positioning it along the trade route spanning South East Asia to the Gulf, West Asia, and Europe.
• This strategic placement offers India substantial advantages, both strategically and economically, and opens up substantial opportunities within the logistics and transportation sector.
• Furthermore, it offers a more efficient and cost-effective transit option, bolstering India’s trade and export activities.
• This corridor can be developed with a focus on sustainability, aligning with India’s green transition goals, elevating the nation’s regional prominence, and enabling Indian enterprises to participate equitably in infrastructure development.
• Additionally, the corridor promises to secure supply chains, generate employment opportunities, and enhance trade facilitation and accessibility.

Easy to understand how; India >> Middle East >> Europe, Economic Corridor will look.

Depiction is worth a thousand words.