India is strengthening its inland ship repair and maintenance infrastructure to boost inland water transport and achieve self-reliance in the maritime sector, Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur said on Friday. Speaking ahead of India Maritime Week 2025 (27–31 October) in Mumbai, Thakur said the country’s inland waterways are now “central to India’s maritime destiny.”

Under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and guided by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the government aims to transform inland waterways into engines of growth, aligning India’s riverine network with global standards in trade, logistics, and industry.

Thakur said, “Ship repair and maintenance facilities are no longer just technical additions; they are catalysts for economic transformation. Our goal is to ensure India’s inland waterways are fully equipped to support vessel operations without reliance on coastal docks or foreign services.”

Two new Ship Repair Facilities (SRFs) have been commissioned at Patna and Varanasi on the Ganga (National Waterway-1), while another is under development at Pandu, Guwahati, to serve the Brahmaputra (NW-2) and Barak (NW-16).

According to Thakur, these facilities will reduce vessel turnaround time, generate employment, build technical capabilities, and promote MSME participation across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and the North Eastern Region. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the implementing agency, aims to decentralise maritime infrastructure from coastal regions to the country’s riverine interiors.

The Patna and Varanasi SRFs, now operational, can service a wide range of vessels — from cargo carriers to passenger ferries — significantly lowering maintenance costs and downtime. “These are modern facilities equipped with dry docks, workshops, and floating repair units that enhance the reliability and safety of operations on our national waterways,” Thakur added.

The upcoming Pandu SRF is described as a “strategic game-changer” for the North Eastern Region. Once completed, it will become the region’s primary inland vessel maintenance hub, improving trade connectivity with neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh and Bhutan. “This aligns with our Act East and Neighbourhood First policies, strengthening regional logistics and cross-border trade,” he said.

The inland ship repair initiative is also being reinforced at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), formerly Kolkata Port Trust. SMPK has partnered with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) and Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) to expand technical capacity. A 128-acre plot at Jellingham near Medinipur has been allotted to Atreya Shipyard Pvt Ltd for dry docking, vessel repair, and allied operations — a move that marks a major expansion of SMPK’s long-term ship repair and shipbuilding capacity.

Thakur noted that this programme complements IWAI’s earlier achievements, including world-class multimodal terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj, and Haldia under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP). “The aim,” he said, “is to build a self-sustaining inland vessel ecosystem where ships are designed, built, maintained, and repaired locally.”

From an environmental standpoint, the minister emphasised that the new SRFs are designed with sustainable practices such as waste management, water recycling, and energy-efficient systems. “This aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of a blue economy that balances growth with ecological responsibility,” he said.

Looking ahead, Thakur said the government’s long-term vision under the Maritime Amrit Kaal 2047 is to position India among the top five global maritime nations by expanding its entire value chain — from ship design and construction to repair and recycling.