News Brief
From Ganga To Barak: 100 New Barges To Power India’s Inland Waterway Cargo Surge—What You Need To Know
A cargo vessel on River Ganga (File Phot) (IWAI) (Representative Image)
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global logistics major Rhenus Group.
The agreement, which was signed in presence of Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, is expected to boost cargo movement across the country’s National Waterways (NWs) with a greener and more cost-effective alternative to traditional transport modes, according to a government statement.
Under the MoU, Rhenus Logistics India will introduce 100 barges in a phased rollout.
In the initial phase, 20 barges and six pushers will be deployed, targeting the movement of over one million tonnes of cargo annually by the end of 2025.
The operations will commence on NW-1 (Ganga), NW-2 (Brahmaputra), NW-16 (Barak), and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route, with plans to expand further.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Sonowal stated, “Inland waterways offer a remarkable opportunity to create a greener, cost-effective, and efficient logistics network… We are enabling our rich and dynamic waterways system to be empowered with global expertise.”
The partnership will leverage Rhenus’ vast experience in European inland navigation and its global fleet of over 1,100 barges to integrate best practices within India’s growing IWT ecosystem.
A combination of pushers and barges tailored for low-draft navigation will facilitate the movement of both bulk and break-bulk cargo.
This initiative builds on the success of the Jal Marg Vikas Project, which has driven significant infrastructure development, including dredging, modern terminals, navigational locks, and jetties.
From just 30 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) in 2014-15, cargo movement via IWT has surged to 145.84 MMTPA in 2024-25. With 14,500 km of navigable waterways and 111 declared NWs, India’s IWT sector is poised to become a cornerstone of national logistics.
