India's Inland Waterways Get a Boost with Rhenus Partnership

Inland Waterways Authority of India partners with Rhenus Group to enhance cargo movement through India's inland waterways. The MoU aims to introduce 100 barges, improving the country's green logistics network. This initiative is part of the Maritime India Vision 2030 to revolutionize inland water transport.

In a strategic move to elevate India's inland waterways sector, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has entered a partnership with global logistics titan Rhenus Group. The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, was present at the signing of this crucial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), highlighting the government's dedication to fostering an energy-efficient, eco-friendly, and integrated transport system by advancing inland water transport (IWT).

Through this MoU, Rhenus Logistics India Pvt. Ltd. is poised to initiate scheduled barge services across pivotal National Waterways in India. In the initial phase, Rhenus plans to deploy 20 barges and six pushers, targeting a movement of over one million tonnes of cargo annually by 2025. This strategic initiative is set to expand to 100 barges, progressively covering additional National Waterways.

Commencing operations on National Waterways 1 (Ganga), 2 (Brahmaputra), and 16 (Barak), as well as the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route, Rhenus aims to facilitate bulk and break-bulk cargo movement across North, East, and Northeast India. With expertise in European inland navigation and access to a vast fleet, Rhenus seeks to integrate global best practices into India's IWT ecosystem. This collaboration supports the 'Jal Marg Vikas' Project, aiming to enhance National Waterway capacity through infrastructure development.

(With inputs from agencies.)