The central government and the Rajasthan government will jointly develop an inland port in Jalore, Rajasthan, Minister for Water Resources Suresh Rawat has announced. The port will be linked to the Arabian Sea through Gujarat’s Kandla Port, providing the State with direct maritime access. The port will be developed along a 262-kilometre waterway connecting Jalore with the Gulf of Kutch. The project involves dredging costs of over Rs100 billion, aimed at enabling smooth cargo movement, reducing pressure on road and rail networks, and strengthening trade, industrial development and logistics connectivity in Rajasthan. The State government is expected to allocate around 14 kilometres of land for the port’s development. Once completed, the port will be operated by the Rajasthan government. IIT Madras has submitted the draft Detailed Project Report, which is currently being reviewed by the State. Officials will conduct field assessments before finalising observations, following which the project is expected to move to the next stage. Rawat said the inland port would open new opportunities for industries in Jalore, Barmer and neighbouring regions, supporting sectors such as textiles, stone, agricultural produce, oilseeds, guar, pulses and millet. He added that the ongoing HPCL–Rajasthan refinery project in Pachpadra (Balotra) would also benefit from faster, more cost-effective transportation. The inland port will link the Jawai–Luni–Rann of Kutch river system, designated as National Waterway-48 by the Government of India. The enhanced connectivity is expected to spur the creation of new industries, warehouses, cold storage facilities and industrial clusters across the State, while direct maritime access is likely to attract investment and accelerate industrial development. An MoU for the project was signed in Mumbai last month between the Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Authority and the Inland Waterways Authority of India.