India Expands National Waterways to Boost Trade and Tourism
The Indian government plans to operationalize 20 new National Waterways over the next five years, as announced in the Union Budget 2026-27. These new waterways aim to increase the share of cargo transport via inland waterways and are part of a broader initiative to boost eco-friendly and cost-effective cargo movement. Existing waterways have already shown significant growth, with cargo volume reaching 145.84 million metric tonnes in the financial year 2024-25. Alongside this, initiatives such as the Jalvahak-Cargo Promotion Scheme and the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme are designed to further enhance the use of waterways for commercial transport.
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