New Delhi, May 7 (KNN) The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rhenus Logistics India Private Limited to establish barge services across various national waterways in India.
Under the agreement, Rhenus Logistics, a Germany-based international logistics provider operating in over 70 countries with an annual turnover of EUR 8.2 billion, will deploy 100 cargo vessels with pusher tugs in a phased manner.
The operations will initially focus on National Waterway-1 (River Ganga), NW-2 (Brahmaputra), NW-16 (Barak), and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol routes.
The first phase of deployment is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025, with approximately 20 barges and six pusher tugs designed for low-draft navigation.
These vessels will transport both bulk and break-bulk cargo throughout North and East India, Northeast India, and eventually to neighboring countries.
The company aims to move more than one million tonnes of cargo annually by the end of 2025.
Minister Sonowal characterised the partnership as “a bold step towards building a resilient multi-modal logistics ecosystem” and “a significant moment for private participation in the IWT sector.”
This collaboration builds upon the Jal Marg Vikas Project, implemented with World Bank financial assistance, which focuses on capacity augmentation of National Waterway-1.
The project encompasses maintenance dredging, construction of inland waterway terminals and navigational locks, community jetties, and navigational aids to facilitate efficient passenger and cargo movement.
India’s inland water transport sector has shown substantial growth in recent years. The number of operational waterways has increased from 24 to 29, with river cruises currently operating on 13 national waterways.
Cargo traffic has reached an all-time high of 145.84 million tonnes, up from 30 million tonnes in 2014-15, resulting in a cumulative movement exceeding 779 million tonnes over the past decade.
(KNN Bureau)
