India plans ₹10,000-crore waterway network to boost cargo

The government has drawn up a ₹10,000-crore plan to expand India's operational waterways, aiming to bring more than 50 national waterways into service well before the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 target. Mint reports that cargo movement on national waterways grew nearly eightfold from 29 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 218 million tonnes in 2025-26, surpassing the government's 2030 target of 200 million tonnes. Of the 111 national waterways declared under the 2016 Act, 32 spanning 5,155km are now operational.

The plan focuses on developing waterways as economic corridors linked to industrial clusters, ports, and road-rail networks. Experts quoted by Mint caution against developing all 111 waterways uniformly, they advise prioritising commercially viable stretches with year-round navigability and private investment potential. The Jalvahak scheme, launched in December 2024, offers cargo owners incentives of up to 35% of operating costs to shift freight to inland waterways on designated routes.

Supporting infrastructure is under way, including a ship repair facility at Pandu in Assam and a 70-acre freight village in Varanasi. Passenger traffic rose from 77.6 million in 2024-25 to 105 million in 2025-26. The government has also identified 19 additional waterways, mainly for cruise tourism and ferries, with possible future upgrades for cargo. The ministry of ports, shipping and waterways did not respond to Mint's queries on the project.