TEHRAN - The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) has opened representative offices in various regions of India in order to facilitate shipping activities along the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC), Mehr News Agency reported.

As reported, IRISL will ship India’s export products that have been transported from the east via railway to the western ports of the country, to deliver them to Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets.

Considering that the Indian government and businessmen are very interested in developing business activities with Russia, CIS and Iran through the INSTC, the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines has launched regular container shipping lines from the western ports of India to the southern ports of Iran.

In the meantime, executive and marketing measures have been also taken to strengthen and develop cooperation with the Indian sides to transport the country's export and import goods to Russia and the CIS markets.

IRISL has taken effective steps in recent months to strengthen its shipping activity along the North-South corridor by managing the Russian port of Solyanka on the shores of the Caspian Sea as well as making huge investments in developing this port.

In early April, IRISL formed an operational working group for the development of transportation along INSTC and the company allocated 300 vessels to the transportation of goods through this corridor.

Currently, most of the commodities that are transported through Iran along the INSTC are shipments from Russia for India.

To be transited through the north-south corridor, cargos enter northern Iranian ports on the Caspian Sea shores and is then transferred by road to the southern ports of the country on the Persian Gulf. From there they are loaded onto a ship and sent to their destinations in East Asia.

EF/MG