Government Enhances Inland Waterways for Logistics and Signs Strategic Agreement with Rhenus Group.

National

In May 2025, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and functioning under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rhenus Group, a global logistics major based in Germany, to strengthen India's inland waterways infrastructure.


      - This MoU enables Rhenus Logistics India Pvt. Ltd. to launch scheduled barge operations on key National Waterways (NWs) across India.

      - The collaboration is aimed at integrating global best practices to modernize and enhance the Indian Inland Water Transport (IWT) ecosystem.

     

Main Point :-   (i) Under the MoU, Rhenus will progressively introduce 100 barges, beginning with 20 barges and 6 pushers in the first phase. The operations are expected to handle over 1 million tonnes of cargo annually by the end of 2025.

      (ii) The MoU will also promote scheduled barge services and introduce innovative Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) solutions, with an eye toward long-term scalability and operational efficiency across India’s National Waterways.


About Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways

Cabinet Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
Headquarters: New Delhi
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