News Desk: In a major push to develop Uttar Pradesh’s inland waterways, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) announced key agreements worth over ₹6,000 crore at India Maritime Week 2025. The initiatives aim to strengthen river cruise tourism, ship repair infrastructure, multimodal connectivity, and clean-energy transport along National Waterway-1 (Ganga).
The state will receive an immediate investment boost of ₹1,350 crore to accelerate inland water transport and river cruise infrastructure. Notable agreements include a pact with Heritage River Journeys Pvt. Ltd. and Alaknanda Cruises, with over ₹800 crore earmarked for new cruise vessels and expanded operations along the Ganga corridor in Varanasi, enhancing premium river tourism and heritage circuits.
To bolster regional maritime services, IWAI signed an MoU with the UP government to develop a ship repair facility in Varanasi with an investment of ₹350 crore. Additionally, two new river cruise terminals are planned with ₹200 crore allocation, alongside a ₹100 crore project for electric vessel charging infrastructure to promote sustainable, low-emission river transport.
Also Read: NFR Accelerates Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal Development in Assam
A ₹200 crore Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) in Varanasi will focus on skill development, research, and innovation in inland water transport and green technologies. Furthermore, a landmark ₹1,000 crore MoU with Rhenus Logistics will enable induction of modern tug-barges on the Ganga and Brahmaputra, boosting cargo capacity and multimodal logistics efficiency.
Infrastructure upgrades will also include ₹1,500 crore for dredging supervision along NW-1 in partnership with NTCPWC, IIT Madras, and another ₹1,500 crore for rail connectivity to multimodal terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj, and Haldia via IPRCL.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal called the agreements a transformative moment, highlighting India’s commitment to world-class waterways infrastructure. Minister of State Shantanu Thakur and IWAI Chairman Sunil Kumar Singh emphasized that these projects will position Uttar Pradesh as a hub for river-based trade, tourism, and sustainable transport, aligning with PM Gati Shakti and national maritime visions toward 2047.
Uttar Pradesh is now poised to play a central role in India’s multimodal logistics, river tourism, and green shipping revolution.
