Inland cargo volume expected to rise to156 MTPA by end of FY 2026
76 waterways are targeted to be made operational by 2027
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal announced on 26 May 2025 that 47 new National Waterways (NWs) will be made operational by 2027, taking the total to 76. Inland cargo volume is expected to rise up to 156 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by March 2026.
The announcement was made during a meeting of the Consultative Committee on Inland Waterways Transport. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) presented future projections and current progress. The plan aims to expand inland waterways across 23 states and four Union Territories by 2027, up from 11 states currently.
Sonowal said, “Inland waterways are emerging as the watershed moment in India’s logistics and transport ecosystem. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we are witnessing a transformational shift with policy interventions like the National Waterways Act, 2016, the Inland Vessels Act, 2021, and supplemented by multiple programmes like the Jal Marg Vikas Project, Arth Ganga, the Jalvahak scheme, the Jal Samriddhi scheme, and Jalyan & Navic, among others.”
The minister said ₹5,000 crore will be invested in the Northeast over five years for inland waterway development. The Regional Waterways Grid will create a 4,067 km corridor from Varanasi to Dibrugarh, Karimganj and Badarpur. A traffic study and detailed project report for the Jangipur navigation lock are underway, with a projected cargo potential of 32.2 MMTPA by 2033.
NW 1 (Ganga) will see capacity augmentation to enable 1,500–2,000 DWT vessels, with cargo handling infrastructure being developed in Varanasi, Kalughat, Sahibganj and Haldia. In the Northeast, NW 2 (Brahmaputra) has four permanent and 13 floating terminals supported by navigation upgrades. NW 16 (Barak) and NW 31 (Dhansiri) are being developed with active terminals at Karimganj and Badarpur. A ₹208 crore ship repair facility and a ₹180 crore road project in Pandu are also under implementation.
Sonowal added, “In line with the Harit Nauka Guidelines, the Inland Waterways Authority is committed to green and sustainable transport solutions, including the procurement of electric catamarans and hydrogen fuel cell-powered vessels. The Regional Waterways Grid aims to seamlessly connect Assam and the Northeast with the rest of India through an integrated network of inland waterways.”
India’s river cruise sector has grown from 3 to 25 luxury cruise vessels since 2013-14. There are now 15 operational circuits across 13 NWs in nine states. By 2027, 51 new cruise circuits are expected to be developed on 47 NWs. Cruise terminals are being built at Kolkata, with feasibility studies for terminals in Varanasi and Guwahati by IIT Madras. Four more terminals are planned at Silghat, Bishwanath Ghat, Neamati and Guijan.
Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur said, “Special efforts are underway to advance river cruise tourism across India by developing modern cruise terminals and related infrastructure. Through strategic partnerships and MoUs with private enterprises, we are boosting luxury river cruises on the Ganga and Brahmaputra, while also expanding cruise tourism on the Yamuna, Narmada, and key rivers in Jammu & Kashmir. ”
The meeting was attended by several Members of Parliament from states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, who expressed support for enhanced investment in the sector.
