The third meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council will be held on January 23, 2026, in Kochi, Kerala, to review progress in the inland water transport sector and chart the next phase of its growth across the country.
The day long meeting will be chaired by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal and will be attended by Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Shantanu Thakur, along with ministers and senior officials from various state governments. The meeting is expected to reinforce Centre State collaboration and align national and regional priorities for inland waterways development.
During the meeting, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal is expected to launch new initiatives aimed at further strengthening inland water transport in multiple states. Several State Support Agreements are also likely to be signed, providing a framework for closer coordination between the Centre and states on planning, funding and execution of inland waterways projects.
The IWDC 3.0 agenda includes focused discussions on building resilient urban water transport systems, improving efficiency of cargo movement, promoting green vessels for passenger transport, expanding river cruise tourism and adopting digital and sustainable practices. The Council will also review the existing regulatory framework and deliberate on concerns raised by states related to ongoing and proposed inland water transport projects.
India has an extensive inland waterways network, with more than 145 million tonnes of cargo moved annually through this fuel efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transport. Inland waterways play a complementary role to road and rail networks and support initiatives such as roll on roll off vehicle movement and river based tourism. Of the 111 national waterways spread across 23 states and four union territories, 32 are currently operational for cargo and passenger movement. The Inland Waterways Authority of India under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is responsible for the development, maintenance and regulation of these waterways.
Cargo movement on national waterways has grown significantly from 18 million tonnes in 2013–14 to 145.84 million tonnes in 2024–25. Passenger traffic has also expanded, reaching 7.64 crore in 2024–25. This growth has been supported by initiatives such as the Jalvahak Cargo Promotion Scheme, which incentivises shippers to shift cargo from road and rail to waterways, and Jal Samriddhi, which promotes private sector participation in terminal development and operations.
Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India Sunil Paliwal said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Inland Waterways Development Council has emerged as a collaborative national platform that brings together policymakers and state governments to shape the future of inland waterways. He said Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has transformed the Council into a catalyst for aligning Centre State priorities, translating policy intent into actionable outcomes and advancing a greener and more efficient transport ecosystem. He added that IWDC 3.0 aims to consolidate progress made since IWDC 1.0 in 2024 and IWDC 2.0 in 2025, accelerate project execution and scale technology driven inland waterways development in partnership with states.
Assam is expected to be a key focus area at the meeting, reflecting steady growth in inland waterways traffic in the state over the past two years. National Waterway 2 on the Brahmaputra, with multimodal terminals at Pandu and Jogighopa, permanent terminals at Dhubri and Bogibeel, multiple floating terminals and assured depth maintenance from the Bangladesh border to Sadiya, has become central to sustainable transport in the North Eastern Region. The waterway currently handles over 98 percent of Assam’s inland waterways cargo, including vehicles, over dimensional cargo and construction materials.
Building on coordination through the IWDC, the government has planned investments of ₹5,000 crore for inland waterways development in the Northeast between 2025 and 2030. Projects worth around ₹1,152 crore are already under implementation, with detailed project reports being prepared for the remaining investments. The Kochi meeting is expected to focus on operationalising the Regional Centre of Excellence at Dibrugarh, completing the ship repair facility at Pandu and expanding green vessel operations. Announcements related to the approach road to the Bogibeel River Port, a tourist jetty at Uzan Bazaar Ghat and plans to develop 85 jetties across regional waterways are also expected.
The IWDC 3.0 meeting in Kochi is expected to serve as a key platform to assess the potential of inland water transport and lay out a clear roadmap for its sustainable expansion, reinforcing waterways as an integral pillar of India’s transport and logistics ecosystem.
