- After the Chabahar port in Iran, India has secured the right to operate its second foreign port at Sittwe in Myanmar.
- A proposal for India Ports Global (IPGL) to take over the operations of the entire port located on the Kaladan River has been approved by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
- India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) is a joint venture between Deendayal Port Trust (erstwhile Kandla Port Trust) and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).
- In January 2015, IPGL was formed and incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, as per the directions of the Ministry of Shipping (MoS) for the development of ports overseas.
- Currently, the Ministry of Shipping has entrusted IPGL with the equipment and operation of container/multi-purpose terminals at Chabahar Port, Iran.
- Sittwe Port is part of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project.
- The aim of the project is to connect the eastern Indian port of Kolkata with Myanmar’s Sittwe port by sea.
- Sittwe port is to be further connected to Paletwa in Myanmar through the Kaladan River waterway, and Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram through a road component.
- This link will provide an alternative route to send goods to the Northeastern states, and will also significantly reduce the cost and distance from Kolkata to Mizoram and beyond.
In May 2023, Deputy Prime Minister of Myanmar Admiral Tin Aung San and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal jointly inaugurated the Sittwe Port and welcomed the first Indian cargo ship.