The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has signed agreements worth ₹3,000 crore with multiple stakeholders to develop inland waterways and enhance industrial connectivity in the , an official statement said on Friday.
The MoUs were inked during the India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal chaired a review meeting with senior officials to assess ongoing projects across Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, including those under the Central Sector Scheme (CSS). Fifteen major projects and ten CSS initiatives were discussed, including concept studies for an all-weather road at Bogibeel to facilitate cargo-cum-tourist terminal access.
To expand river cruise tourism, IWAI signed a ₹500-crore MoU with Heritage River Journeys Pvt Ltd to introduce new cruise vessels and enhance operations on the Brahmaputra and other rivers. Another agreement with the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) aims to improve navigation safety and tourism on National Waterway 2 in Assam.
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A ₹1,000-crore MoU with Rhenus Logistics will induct modern tug-barges on the Ganga and Brahmaputra, enhancing cargo transport and multimodal logistics. Cruise terminals at Neamati, Silghat, Biswanath Ghat, and Guijan in Assam will see a combined investment of ₹299 crore. Additional MoUs were signed for the development of the Regional Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh (₹188 crore) and a key land parcel in Guwahati (₹55 crore).
Projects to strengthen Assam’s inland water transport network include collaborations with Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd. for methanol and formalin movement via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route, and with the state government to develop Urban Water Transport systems, including a Water Metro in Tezpur, Guwahati, and Dibrugarh.
Regional projects are underway across other Northeastern states. Mizoram is progressing inland water transport (IWT) projects on the Tlawng and Chhimtuipui rivers. Nagaland is preparing DPRs for Doyang Lake, while Manipur is examining IWT potential on the Barak, Imphal, and Nambul rivers.
Meghalaya and Tripura have projects on Umiam, Umngot, and Gomti rivers, while Arunachal Pradesh is studying IWT development on the Siang River.
Sonowal emphasised, “With these partnerships, Inland Waterways are becoming a lifeline for trade, tourism, and regional growth. We aim to invest over ₹5,000 crore in the coming years to transform waterways into engines of opportunity and prosperity.”
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