The G20 conference held in India generated significant buzz with theunveiling of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. However, acloud of uncertainty loomed over this ambitious project due to thequestionable accuracy of a map circulated by Indian media outlets.
The corridor, jointly announced by the Indian prime minister and theEuropean Union commissioner, was presented as a promising sign of improvedrelations between India and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Western mediaspeculated whether it could rival China’s Belt and Road initiative,particularly benefiting Pakistan.
The source of contention revolved around an Indian Express-released mapdepicting the corridor stretching from India to the UAE through SaudiArabia, into Israel, and onward to Europe. Michael Kugelman, South AsiaDirector at the Wildon Institute, highlighted a critical issue byquestioning the map’s origins and accuracy. He emphasized that Piraeus inGreece, included in the map, had not been part of the official announcement.
As the map debate escalated, India Today presented another map detailingwhich segments of the corridor would utilize sea and rail transportation.Kugelman quickly pointed out that this map differed from others and wasself-labeled as ‘not authoritative’ by its creators.
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In response to concerns about the economic feasibility of relying on sea,train, and sea routes compared to the Suez Canal, Kugelman underscored thatinitial criticism of the project stemmed from unrealistic depictions in thecirculating maps.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor encompasses multiplecorridors, with the eastern route connecting India to Gulf countriesthrough existing sea routes and a rail network leading up to Israel. TheWestern Corridor seeks to establish a trade route to Europe, leveragingpre-established infrastructure. Despite the intriguing potential of thiscorridor, the accuracy of maps remains a critical aspect that requiresclarification to ensure the project’s success and credibility.
