Record cargo movement on Inland Waterways, achieves 145.5 million tonnes in FY 2024–25

By Admin

25 Apr, 2025

In a landmark achievement for India’s inland water transport (IWT) sector, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) reported a record cargo movement of 145.5 million tonnes in the fiscal year 2024–25. This remarkable milestone reflects the growing importance of inland waterways as a sustainable and efficient mode of transportation and highlights the success of strategic investments and forward-thinking policies.

Exponential Growth Over a Decade

India's cargo traffic on national waterways has witnessed exponential growth over the past ten years. From 18.10 million metric tonnes (MMT) in FY-14, the figure has skyrocketed to 145.5 MMT in FY-25, recording a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20.86%. In FY-25 alone, there was a 9.34% year-on-year growth compared to FY-24.

The top five commodities—coal, iron ore, iron ore fines, sand, and fly ash—contributed to over 68% of the total cargo transported during the year. Meanwhile, passenger movement on waterways also reached 1.61 crore in 2023–24, demonstrating the increasing utility of IWT for both freight and people.

Expansion of National Waterways

The IWAI, under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, has significantly expanded the number of National Waterways (NWs) from 5 to 111 under the National Waterways Act, 2016. Operational waterways increased from 24 to 29 in FY 2024–25, boosting multimodal connectivity and eco-friendly transportation.

The operational length of NWs has also grown from 2,716 km in 2014-15 to 4,894 km in 2023-24, thanks to strategic investments of around ₹6,434 crore in waterway infrastructure. This includes fairway maintenance, floating terminals, community jetties, Multi-Modal Terminals (MMTs), Inter-Modal Terminals (IMTs), and navigational locks.

Digital Innovations and Green Initiatives

To enhance the Ease of Doing Business, IWAI introduced several digital platforms such as:

• LADIS (Least Available Depth Information System)
  
  

• RIS (River Information System)
  
  

• Car-D
  
  

• PANI (Portal for Navigational Information)
  
  

• MIRS (Management Information and Reporting Solution)
  
  

Green technologies like Hybrid Electric Catamarans and Hydrogen Vessels are also being introduced to promote sustainable river tourism and reduce environmental pollution.

Policy Measures Driving the Transformation

1. Jalvahak – Cargo Promotion Scheme

Launched on 15 December 2024 with a budget of Rs. 95.42 crores, this scheme offers:

• 35% reimbursement of actual operating costs to cargo owners shifting from road/rail to IWT
  
  

• Scheduled cargo services to ensure reliability and predictability on key routes like:
  
  

• Kolkata–Patna–Varanasi (NW-1)
  
  

• Kolkata–Pandu (NW-2 via Indo-Bangladesh Protocol)
  
  

• Kolkata–Badarpur/Karimganj (NW-16 via IBP)
  
  

2. Extension of Tonnage Tax to Inland Vessels

Announced in the Union Budget 2025, the tonnage tax regime now includes inland vessels under the Indian Vessels Act, 2021, ensuring a stable tax structure that reduces costs and supports broader adoption.

3. Regulatory Framework for Private Investment

The National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals) Regulations, 2025 provide a clear legal framework to attract private investments in inland waterway infrastructure.

4. Port Integration

Multi-modal and intermodal terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj, Haldia, and Kalughat have been transferred to Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, enhancing coordination between port and inland water transport systems.

5. Centralised Digital Registration

A new portal, modeled on Vahan and Sarathi, is under development for:

• Vessel and crew registration
  
  

• Real-time data availability
  
  

• Greater transparency and planning
  
  

6. Cargo Aggregation Infrastructure

To support cargo volume from industrially sparse areas, IWAI is developing:

• A Freight Village at Varanasi
  
  

• An Integrated Cluster-cum-Logistics Park at Sahibganj, with support from NHLML and Indian Port and Rail Company Ltd. for rail connectivity
  
  

7. Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route Expansion

Routes No. 5 & 6 between Maia and Sultanganj have been successfully trialled and await operational approval from the Government of Bangladesh.

8. PSU Collaboration

Over 140 Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have been approached to adopt IWT. Key ministries such as Petroleum, Fertiliser, Coal, Steel, and Heavy Industries have been involved to align their logistics with the Maritime India Vision.

Infrastructure Enhancements Across Key Waterways

NW-1 (Ganga River):

• 49 community jetties
  
  

• 20 floating terminals
  
  

• 3 Multi-Modal Terminals
  
  

• 1 Inter-Modal Terminal
  
  

NW-2 (Brahmaputra River):

• 12 floating terminals
  
  

• Terminals at Pandu, Jogighopa, Bogibeel, and Dhubri
  
  

• 4 dedicated jetties at Jogighopa, Pandu, Biswanath Ghat, and Neamati
  
  

NW-3 (West Coast Canal, Kerala):

• 9 permanent terminals
  
  

• 2 Ro-Ro terminals
  
  

NW-68 (Goa):

• 4 floating concrete jetties in the Mandovi River
  
  

NW-4 (Krishna River, Andhra Pradesh):

• 4 tourist jetties
  
  

Other Projects:

• 12 floating jetties on NW-110 (Yamuna River in Mathura-Vrindavan)
  
  

• 2 jetties each on NW-73 (Narmada) and NW-37 (Gandak)
  
  

Navigating Towards a Sustainable Future

India’s inland waterways are on a transformative journey. The record cargo movement in FY 2024–25 stands as a testament to visionary policy, robust infrastructure development, and increased stakeholder participation. With a target to raise IWT’s modal share from 2% to 5%, and traffic volumes to 200 MMT by 2030 and 500 MMT by 2047, the nation is steering confidently toward the goals set under the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

The continued emphasis on sustainability, digital transformation, and multi-modal connectivity ensures that inland waterways will remain a critical pillar of India’s economic growth in the decades to come.