THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 4, 2026
The Centre has stepped up efforts to attract private
investment and expand the operational network of National Waterways (NWs) for
cargo and passenger traffic by introducing new regulations, offering financial
incentives and strengthening digital infrastructure, Parliament was informed on
Tuesday.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for
Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday said the government
has notified the National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals)
Regulations, 2025 to facilitate the construction and operation of terminals by
private entities.
The minister said the government has also launched the
Jalvahak Scheme, under which incentives of up to 35 per cent are being provided
to promote cargo movement through inland waterways. Besides, private sector
participation is being encouraged through Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
models, with operation and maintenance of terminals being assigned on long-term
concession periods.
Sonowal said the Jalyan & Navic portal, a One Nation One
Registration single-window system developed as a centralised national registry
for inland vessels and crew, has become fully operational.
According to the minister, 18 States and Union Territories
have been onboarded onto the portal, while 9,953 inland vessels and 1,215 crew
members had been registered on the platform as of July 30, 2026.
The government acknowledged that increasing cargo and
passenger movement on National Waterways continues to face several challenges,
including the limited presence of industrial zones along waterways, inadequate
availability of suitable inland vessels, insufficient first and last-mile
connectivity, limited multimodal logistics infrastructure and low awareness
among cargo owners and operators about the advantages of Inland Water Transport
(IWT).
To address these issues, the government has undertaken a
series of measures aimed at strengthening infrastructure, improving connectivity
and encouraging greater adoption of inland waterways for freight and passenger
transport.
These include the development of multi-modal terminals,
inter-modal terminals, community jetties, floating terminals and cargo
aggregation hubs to improve multimodal connectivity and facilitate seamless
cargo movement.
The Centre is also implementing the Jalvahak Scheme to
encourage a modal shift of freight from road and rail to inland waterways
through financial incentives.
To attract private investment in terminal and jetty
infrastructure, the National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals)
Regulations, 2025 have been notified, while efforts are underway to create an
enabling ecosystem for deployment of inland vessels by improving fairway
conditions and encouraging private participation in vessel operations.
The government is also operationalising additional routes
under the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) to improve regional connectivity and
expand cargo movement. Passenger and cruise infrastructure is being developed
on suitable National Waterways to promote tourism and regional passenger
transport.
Further, the Centre is engaging with Central ministries, state governments, public sector undertakings and private stakeholders to encourage the movement of suitable cargo through inland waterways and improve utilisation of the National Waterways network.
The measures also include the development of Multi Modal Logistic Parks (MMLPs) along National Waterways and fairway maintenance through river training works, channel marking and hydrographic surveys to ensure smooth navigation, the minister added.
