India achieves record cargo movement on inland waterways

India has significantly boosted its inland water transport (IWT) sector, achieving a milestone cargo movement of 145.5 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the financial year 2024-25. This remarkable figure is nearly eight times the 18.10 MMT recorded in 2013-14. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways announced this development, attributing it to strategic investments, the introduction of digital tools, and comprehensive policy reforms led by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). Over the past decade, the sector has experienced a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.86%, reflecting an impressive 9.34% increase just over the preceding year. A substantial portion of the cargo movement is attributed to five bulk commodities: coal, iron ore, iron ore fines, sand, and fly ash, which together accounted for more than 68% of the total cargo transported on Indian waterways. Passenger movement also surged, reaching 1.61 crore in the year 2023-24. The development of the IWT sector has been harmonized with an expansion of operational national waterways from 5 in 2014 to 29 currently, with the navigable length of waterways increasing from 2,716 km to 4,894 km. Infrastructure investments made within the last decade have totaled approximately Rs. 6,434 crore, including essential developments such as Multi-Modal Terminals, community jetties, floating terminals, and navigational locks. A budget of Rs. 95.42 crore has also been allocated, which includes a 35% reimbursement on operating costs for operators and the introduction of scheduled services on prominent routes like Kolkata–Patna–Varanasi and Kolkata–Pandu. The 2025 budget further alleviates taxation through an extension of the tonnage tax regime to inland vessels, promoting shipping practices under the Indian Vessels Act, 2021. New regulations established this year aim to facilitate private participation in the construction of jetties and terminals, reflecting an ongoing effort to enhance multimodal integration. Key terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj, Haldia, and Kalughat are currently being transferred to Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, further underlining the commitment to infrastructure enhancement. Digital platforms such as LADIS, RIS, Car-D, PANI, and MIRS are serving to bolster navigation and logistics efficiency. Furthermore, cargo hubs like the Freight Village in Varanasi and the Integrated Logistics Park at Sahibganj are in development, with rail connectivity assured by the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) and the Indian Port and Rail Company Limited. In light of the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol, trial runs on routes such as Maia–Sultanganj have been successfully completed and are currently awaiting formal clearance. More than 140 Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) are collaborating to adopt inland water transport for cargo, aligning with the broader Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which set lofty targets of achieving 200 MMT of cargo movement by 2030 and an ambitious 500 MMT by 2047. Infrastructure development is still ongoing across various waterways including NW-1 (Ganga), NW-2 (Brahmaputra), NW-3 (West Coast Canal), NW-4 (Krishna), and NW-68 (Goa), alongside numerous projects in the Yamuna, Narmada, and Gandak rivers.