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Inland waterways sector charts Rs 35,000 cr project pipeline by 2030

In order to boost freight and connectivity, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has pipelined projects worth Rs 35,000 crore, which includes PPP initiatives, according to an official release. IWAI is currently conducting 10,000 km of longitudinal surveys per month to assess Least Available Depth (LAD), with coverage set to expand from 11 states in FY24 to 22 states and 4 UTs by FY27. India’s inland waterways sector has witnessed a remarkable transformation expanding from just three (03) operational National Waterways (NW) in 2014 to 2029 operational national waterway (NW) across 11 states. A total of 111 NWs have been declared, spanning 23 States and 4 Union Territories with a cumulative navigable length of 20,187 km. To support this growing network, 124 terminals—including 27 permanent and 97 floating terminals—are now operational. Cargo movement on national waterways reached 145.84 million tons during 2024–25 (FY25), growing at a CAGR of 20.89 percent since 2014. During FY25, 85 percent of the cargo comprised coal, iron ore, coke, sand, fly ash, vehicles, passengers, limestone, clinker, and cement, highlighting inland waterways as a key mode for bulk and heavy freight.