How Jaishankar made India powerful using India Middle east corridor? : Geopolitical Case Study
Executive Summary
A Think School geopolitical and business case study from May 2024 on the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (called IMC by the presenter) announced at the September 2023 G20 summit, and what he credits to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's diplomacy. He explains the risks of the Suez Canal route, the corridor's rail and sea legs, undersea data cables and the solar grid and hydrogen links, then gives three lessons for entrepreneurs. The caption text covers the whole video, which opens with news clips. All claims about the minister's role, savings (30 percent cheaper, 40 percent faster), trade shares and the cable market are the presenter's statements and opinions, not independently checked; the corridor is a proposed project. This is commentary, not advice. Captions are automatic with errors. Topics are untimed; metadata follows YouTube. Source: https://youtubetotranscript.com/transcript?v=Ayy-__ghfUI
Key Takeaways
The diplomacy claim
He says Jaishankar protected India's access to discounted Russian oil and kept India friendly with the US, Russia, Israel and the Arabs, and quotes clips of the minister's replies on European gas purchases.
The Suez problem
He says 65 percent of India's crude from Iraq and Saudi Arabia and most EU trade pass the Suez route, about half of the 190 km canal is single lane, and the 2021 ship grounding stopped it for six days.
The Red Sea risk
He says Houthi attacks raised shipping costs 40 to 60 percent and insurance 15 to 20 percent, and a Cape of Good Hope detour adds 8,900 km and about two weeks. Ships also pay Egypt 400,000 to 700,000 dollars in tolls.
The corridor route
He describes an eastern leg by ship from Indian ports such as Mundra to the UAE's Jebel Ali, then rail via Saudi Arabia and Jordan to Haifa, then ships to Europe, which he says could be about 30 percent cheaper and 40 percent faster.
Undersea cables
He says 95 percent of data flows through undersea cables, three Red Sea cables were cut, and a Chinese firm aims for 60 percent of the market by 2025, so a Trans Europe Asia cable would run by land through the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Solar grid and hydrogen
He adds that an interconnected solar grid and a hydrogen corridor would speed renewables, and says the corridor spans countries with 47 trillion dollars of GDP.
Three lessons
He says mind your own business unless a conflict is in your backyard, in geopolitics there are no friends only interests so a business relationship with no benefit is not one, and diplomacy means saying no so well that people ask for directions.
The Conversation Breakdown
The diplomacy claim
⏱ Untimed topicHe says Jaishankar protected India's access to discounted Russian oil and kept India friendly with the US, Russia, Israel and the Arabs, and quotes clips of the minister's replies on European gas purchases.
The Suez problem
⏱ Untimed topicHe says 65 percent of India's crude from Iraq and Saudi Arabia and most EU trade pass the Suez route, about half of the 190 km canal is single lane, and the 2021 ship grounding stopped it for six days.
The Red Sea risk
⏱ Untimed topicHe says Houthi attacks raised shipping costs 40 to 60 percent and insurance 15 to 20 percent, and a Cape of Good Hope detour adds 8,900 km and about two weeks. Ships also pay Egypt 400,000 to 700,000 dollars in tolls.
The corridor route
⏱ Untimed topicHe describes an eastern leg by ship from Indian ports such as Mundra to the UAE's Jebel Ali, then rail via Saudi Arabia and Jordan to Haifa, then ships to Europe, which he says could be about 30 percent cheaper and 40 percent faster.
Undersea cables
⏱ Untimed topicHe says 95 percent of data flows through undersea cables, three Red Sea cables were cut, and a Chinese firm aims for 60 percent of the market by 2025, so a Trans Europe Asia cable would run by land through the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Solar grid and hydrogen
⏱ Untimed topicHe adds that an interconnected solar grid and a hydrogen corridor would speed renewables, and says the corridor spans countries with 47 trillion dollars of GDP.
Three lessons
⏱ Untimed topicHe says mind your own business unless a conflict is in your backyard, in geopolitics there are no friends only interests so a business relationship with no benefit is not one, and diplomacy means saying no so well that people ask for directions.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Choke point risk - presenter's lens
One narrow route for trade or data is a point of failure.
Interests over friends - presenter's lesson
International and business relationships are driven by interests.
Multi-alignment - presenter's description
Keep working relationships with rival blocs at once.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Map the single points of failure in your own supply chain.
- ✓Check the corridor's current status and the shipping figures against official sources.
- ✓Read the Gaza and Red Sea developments since the video, because they affect the corridor's feasibility.
- ✓Say no to unpaid work with a clear reason that leaves the relationship intact.
Notable Quotes
“in geopolitics there are no friends only interests”
“a business relationship with no economic or Strategic Benefit is not a business relationship at all”
“diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they start asking you for directions”
The One Thing to Remember
The presenter says non-alignment gave India room to back a trade route that avoids the Suez choke point.