The first intermodal digital TIR-based pilot transport between India and Iran through the INTC corridor was flagged its week from Nhava Shewa (Jawaharlal Nehru Port). This will facilitate seamless and paperless cross-border transit of goods, under the customs guarantee of the TIR system, trade association FICCI said in a statement.

The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is India's initiative to reduce the time it takes for Exim (Export-Import) shipments to reach Russia and Europe and enter the Central Asian markets.

The port of Chabahar in Iran, which was developed with Indian aid, is the commercial transit hub for the region, especially Central Asia. India is participating in the development of the first phase of the Shahid Beheshti Terminal in Chabahar Port in collaboration with the Iranian government.

The TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers or International Road Transports) system plays an important role in facilitating cross-border trade and adds significant value to improving regional trade mechanisms, the statement said.

It helps facilitate trade and transportation and avoid delays at border crossings by minimizing formalities, which reduces transportation costs. This system simplifies the movement of national and international transport and provides access to more than 64 TIR operational countries.

According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), such a system has been a successful global model for lowering the cost of trade transactions and enabling greater growth of intra-regional and inter-regional trade.