IMEC and Connectivity: Jaishankar in Abu Dhabi
Why in News?
- On 15 October 2026, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke at Raisina Middle East in Abu Dhabi on a panel titled The Continental Corridors: Who Connects the Heartland?
- He said the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor is already shaping regional thinking on connectivity.
- He said globalisation cannot be reversed but must be navigated with greater resilience, as competition has intensified and new chokepoints have emerged.
- He added that India is building its own strengths and forming trusted partnerships as the global landscape changes.
Key Terminologies
- India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
- A planned trade route announced on 9 September 2023 at the G20 summit in New Delhi. It links India to the Gulf by sea and the Gulf to Europe by rail and sea.
- Chokepoint
- A narrow sea or land passage through which a large share of world trade or energy passes, such as the Strait of Hormuz. A disruption there raises costs worldwide.
- Strait of Hormuz
- A narrow waterway between Oman and Iran that links the Persian Gulf to the open sea and carries a large part of the world's oil shipments.
- Resilience
- In trade policy, the ability of supply chains and routes to keep working when a shock occurs, usually by having more than one route or supplier.
Key Issues
- Chokepoint Risk: The Tribune reports that Brent crude has stayed above USD 100 a barrel amid the conflict involving Iran and attacks near the Strait of Hormuz. Such disruption is the context for Mr Jaishankar's remark on new chokepoints.
- Uneven Progress: An IAS Gyan explainer says the eastern section, linking India and the Gulf, is moving faster, helped by the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The western section is stalled by the Israel-Palestine conflict.
- Shorter, Cheaper Route: The same explainer cites about 40 per cent shorter transit time and about 30 per cent lower cost than the Suez Canal route. These are estimates and not official figures.
- Many Partners: The memorandum was signed by India, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union. A secretariat for coordination is proposed.
- Strategic Competition: Commentators describe the corridor as a counterweight to China's Belt and Road Initiative. This is an analyst view and not an official statement.
Key Implications
Positive/Pros/Merits
- Route Diversification: A corridor through the Gulf, Jordan and Haifa to Piraeus offers an alternative to the Suez route, as the IMEC explainer describes.
- Trade and Energy Links: The corridor plan includes undersea data cables and hydrogen pipelines alongside rail and ports.
- Gulf Partnerships: India-UAE economic ties, including the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, support the eastern leg.
- Wider Coalition: Eight signatories give the project political weight across three regions.
Negative/Cons/Demerits
- Regional Conflict: The western section needs cooperation across Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel, and the Israel-Palestine conflict has stalled it.
- Security Exposure: Attacks near the Strait of Hormuz show how conflicts can disrupt energy and shipping, and the Tribune report links them to Brent above USD 100.
- Long Gestation: The memorandum dates from September 2023, and the explainer describes only parts of the route as progressing.
- Funding Clarity: The pages reviewed do not give investment totals or timelines, so costs and completion dates remain unclear.
Key Initiatives
- IMEC Memorandum, 2023: India, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union announced the corridor at the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023.
- India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement: It supports the eastern corridor, including the Mumbai and Mundra sea link to the United Arab Emirates, according to the IMEC explainer.
- European Union and Italy, France, Germany: They are signatories to the 2023 memorandum, which links Gulf rail to the Haifa port and then by sea to Greece's Piraeus port.
- United States and Saudi Arabia: Both are signatories to the memorandum, whose northern corridor runs from the United Arab Emirates through Saudi Arabia and Jordan to Haifa.
India's External Affairs Minister said on 15 October 2026 that India is building its own strengths and forming trusted partnerships to handle chokepoints and competition. The corridor remains a framework among eight signatories, with the eastern leg moving faster than the western leg. The pages reviewed give no official investment total or completion date.
Director's Perspective
Way Forward
- Fix a time-bound action plan for the eastern leg first, with ports, customs and digital trade links, and publish milestones.
- Keep the western leg alive through quiet, technical talks among Gulf states and Europe, and prepare sea-rail options that do not depend on one transit country.
- Set up the proposed secretariat with a clear mandate to coordinate customs, standards and dispute handling among the eight signatories.
- Pair the corridor with energy security steps such as diversified suppliers and strategic reserves, since chokepoint risk is the stated concern.
The corridor remains a sound idea held back by geography and conflict. Its logic is strong, since a second route lowers exposure to chokepoints such as Hormuz and Suez. Its weakness is that the part that needs regional peace is the part that has stalled. In a Mains answer, credit the diversification and the partner coalition, then conclude that India should deepen the eastern leg and build the western leg only as conditions allow.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor?
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor is a planned trade route announced on 9 September 2023 at the G20 summit in New Delhi. It links India to the Gulf by sea and the Gulf to Europe by rail through Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the port of Haifa.
Which countries signed the IMEC memorandum?
India, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union signed the memorandum on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor in September 2023.
What did Jaishankar say about connectivity on 15 October 2026?
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said at Raisina Middle East in Abu Dhabi on 15 October 2026 that globalisation cannot be reversed but must be navigated with greater resilience. He said the corridor is already shaping regional thinking on connectivity.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor was announced at the G20 summit in New Delhi in 2023.
The memorandum was signed on 9 September 2023.
2 The northern corridor of IMEC links the Gulf to Europe through the port of Haifa.
It then connects by sea to Greece's Piraeus port.
3 The Strait of Hormuz connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.
It connects the Persian Gulf to the open sea.