India may get an alternative sea route to Southeast Asia once the Dawei deep sea port in Myanmar, which is being developed jointly by Myanmar and Thailand, is completed.

The $8-billion project would reduce dependency on the congested Strait of Malacca and cut transport time for India.

The Dawei port is part of the southern corridor of the Mekong India Economic Corridor. India is concentrating on the southern economic corridor, which would connect Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Bangkok in Thailand to Dawei in Myanmar.

Once the project is ready, India plans to connect the Dawei port with Chennai. Experts feel that the proposed port would provide a much shorter sea route to the economically vibrant Southeast Asian region and help boost trade.

The deep-sea port is being built by Thailand's construction giant Italian-Thai Development Co. The port would accommodate ocean-going cargo ships that pass through the Indian and Pacific oceans, cutting short the maritime distance over a relatively long detour via Singapore.