THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
GUWAHATI,
JANUARY 20, 2026
India’s inland waterways sector is
poised to enter its next phase of growth with the third meeting of the Inland
Waterways Development Council (IWDC) scheduled to be held on January 23, 2026,
in Kochi, Kerala. The high-level meet will focus on reviewing achievements of
the Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector while charting an ambitious and
future-ready roadmap aligned with sustainability, efficiency and
technology-driven logistics.
The day-long meeting will be chaired
by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and
attended by Minister of State Shantanu Thakur along with ministers and senior
officials from several state governments. New initiatives aimed at accelerating
inland water transport development across states are expected to be launched,
alongside the signing of multiple State Support Agreements to strengthen
Centre-State collaboration.
The IWDC 3.0 agenda reflects the
growing strategic importance of inland waterways in India’s logistics and
mobility ecosystem. Key discussions will cover resilient urban water transport,
efficiency in cargo movement, adoption of green vessels for passenger services,
expansion of river cruise tourism and implementation of digital and sustainable
practices. The Council will also review the regulatory framework and address
state-level concerns related to ongoing and proposed projects.
India’s inland waterways network has
emerged as a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to congested road and
rail corridors, with more than 145 million tonnes of cargo moved annually. Of
the 111 National Waterways across 23 states and four union territories, 32 are
currently operational for cargo and passenger movement under the stewardship of
the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). Cargo traffic has surged from
18 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 145.84 million tonnes in 2024-25, while
passenger movement has reached 7.64 crore in the same period, supported by
initiatives such as the ‘Jalvahak’ Cargo Promotion Scheme and ‘Jal Samriddhi’.
“Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the IWDC has become a truly collaborative
national platform, bringing together policymakers and representatives of
various state governments and concerned departments to shape the future of
inland waterways. Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has
transformed IWDC into a catalyst for aligning Centre-State priorities,
translating policy intent into actionable outcomes, and advancing a greener, more
efficient transport ecosystem. By combining infrastructure development with
sustainability and community participation, the Council is reviving India’s
riverine heritage and repositioning inland waterways as a preferred mode of
transport for cargo and passengers. In Kochi, we aim to consolidate the
progress made since IWDC 1.0 in 2024 and IWDC 2.0 in 2025, accelerate project
execution and scale green, technology-driven inland waterways in close
partnership with states,” said Sunil Paliwal, Chairman of IWAI.
Assam’s experience highlights the
tangible impact of IWDC-led coordination, with National Waterway-2 on the
Brahmaputra handling over 98 per cent of the state’s inland waterways cargo.
With planned investments of ₹5,000
crore in the Northeast between 2025 and 2030, IWDC 3.0 is expected to
further reinforce inland waterways as a growth engine for regional development
and green logistics.
