The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is in limbo thanks to the ongoing US- Israeli war on Iran.
The blockade of the vital Strait of Hormuz by both sides has halted trade for an indefinite period.
The strait is vital to IMEC, with both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) among the key partners in the initiative.
Blocking IMEC will hurt India strategically as well as economically if the war in the Middle East continues, stressed Major General Dr Shashi Bhushan Asthana, a globally-acknowledged strategic and defence analyst and a veteran Indian Army officer.
The strait is vital to IMEC, with both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) among the key partners in the initiative.
Blocking IMEC will hurt India strategically as well as economically if the war in the Middle East continues, stressed Major General Dr Shashi Bhushan Asthana, a globally-acknowledged strategic and defence analyst and a veteran Indian Army officer.
"But at the same time, it is more a case of delay," Asthana told Sputnik India, "for the simple reason that all the countries that are impacted by this need to trade with each other."
"The requirement of a global trade through this route remains, and that is not going to change," he added, but work will resume once the war is over.
"With the IMEC off the map currently, the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) gains significantly," Asthana stressed, "mainly because it is a functional corridor in large parts, unlike IMEC, which isn't functional."
The INSTC is a multimodal link between India, Iran, Russia and on to Europe.
The Iranian port of Chabahar, east of the Strait of Hormuz on the Arabian Sea, is a crucial link in the chain, connecting India to the Central Asian Republics.
This corridor is a viable alternative to IMEC if it stays blocked for too long, Asthana said.
This corridor is a viable alternative to IMEC if it stays blocked for too long, Asthana said.