As India accelerates its global economic expansion, the need for diversified and resilient supply chains has become central to long-term national planning. With nearly 90 per cent of global trade dependent on maritime routes, India’s future industrial growth, food security, and energy transition hinge on access to strategic ports around the world. In this context, the Corío Deepwater Port in southern Peru emerges as a rare geoeconomic opportunity-an asset capable of shaping India’s commercial and strategic trajectory for the next 30 to 50 years.
Its 28-metre natural depth and scalable capacity of over 100 million tonnes position it as one of the deepest and most future-ready ports on the Pacific coast of South America, offering India an unprecedented gateway into a resource-rich continent. Peru’s importance to India is rooted in both mineral security and agricultural diversification. As the world’s third-largest copper producer, Peru holds the key to India’s rising demand for critical minerals essential for renewable energy, electric mobility, data centres, and advanced electronics.
With India projected to import more than 90 per cent of its copper needs by 2047, securing steady access to Peru’s southern mining corridor becomes strategically indispensable. At the same time, Peru’s $24 billion agricultural transformation has positioned it as a global powerhouse for high-value agro-exports such as avocados, blueberries, quinoa, grapes, and speciality grains. By 2040, Peru’s agro-exports are expected to triple to $40 billion, creating new avenues for India to diversify food imports and build integrated cold-chain and logistics networks.
What makes Corío uniquely valuable is its ability to serve as a continental gateway. The port connects India not only to Peru but to four additional South American economies-Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile-each with substantial reserves of minerals, lithium, agricultural commodities, and industrial products. This single-entry platform allows Indian companies to access the broader Andean, Amazonian, and Southern Cone markets through interconnected overland routes.
For example, Bolivia and Argentina provide strategic lithium access, Brazil’s western states offer soy and protein exports, and northern Chile adds further copper and mineral capacity. Corío thus becomes India’s multi-country springboard into South America. A dedicated Corío-Visakhapatnam (Vizag) maritime axis can further transform trade flows between India and South America.
Vizag, one of India’s leading deepwater ports, is already a major industrial and export hub on the eastern coast. A direct corridor linking Vizag with Corío would create predictable, high-volume trade routes for copper, lithium, grains, and fresh produce outbound from South America, while enabling inbound shipments of Indian pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, heavy machinery, engineering goods, and digital infrastructure solutions.
Such balanced cargo flows reduce empty return voyages and improve shipping economics, making the corridor attractive for private investment, Indian shipping lines, and long-term logistics planning. Realising this opportunity requires a proactive strategy. India should consider forming a public-private investment consortium, initiating government-level engagement with Peru, and commissioning an Indian-led pre-feasibility and ESG baseline study tailored to India’s long-term needs.
Aligning Corío with India’s critical mineral plan and maritime strategy would ensure sustained national benefits. Ultimately, Corío is far more than a port-it is a strategic bridge to South America’s natural resources, agricultural strength, and industrial potential. For long-term investors, it represents a rare infrastructure platform capable of delivering commercial viability, supply-chain resilience, and geopolitical value for decades to come. The Corío Deepwater Port is a rare, next-generation infrastructure asset.
Situated in Peru’s Arequipa region, it offers a natural depth of 28 metres-among the deepest on South America’s Pacific coast-making it capable of accommodating Very Large Bulk Carriers (VLBCs). This depth, coupled with a scalable capacity exceeding 100 million tonnes per year, positions Corío as a long-term maritime platform that can evolve in tandem with India’s expanding industrial and logistical requirements.
This article has been written by Amb. Javier Paulinich, the Ambassador of the Republic of Peru, is presently stationed in New Delhi.
