IWAI Partners with Rhenus to Scale Up Cargo on Waterways

13 May 2025 CW Team

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rhenus Logistics India Private Limited to expand scheduled barge operations across India's inland waterways. The agreement marks a significant step under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) to promote cost-effective and environment-friendly multimodal logistics.

In the first phase of the project, twenty barges and six pusher vessels will be deployed on National Waterways 1, 2, and 16, along with the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route. The goal is to transport over one million tonnes of cargo by the end of 2025. The total fleet will scale to one hundred barges, integrating both bulk and break-bulk cargo transport suited for low-draft conditions.

The partnership draws on Rhenus’ global expertise and over 1,100 operating barges worldwide. It supports the Jal Marg Vikas Project, which includes dredging, terminal development, community jetties, and navigational aids across key routes to boost inland transport efficiency.

The collaboration is aligned with the Maritime India Vision 2030 and reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of developing sustainable inland transport infrastructure. Cargo movement on national waterways has grown from 30 to 145.84 million tonnes since 2014–15, and the number of operational waterways has increased from three to twenty-nine.

Source:Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India

Infrastructure Transport

06 Feb 2026

Second Mountain Tunnel Breakthrough in Palghar Advances High Speed Rail

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail (MAHSR) project reached a milestone with the breakthrough of a mountain tunnel in Palghar, Maharashtra. Mountain tunnel MT-six measures 454 metres long and 14.4 metres wide and will accommodate up and down tracks. The breakthrough follows MT-five near Saphale on second January 2026 and the MT-six excavation was completed from both ends using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. The ministry reported that the tunnelling was completed within 12 months. The New Austrian Tunnelling Method is favoured for its flexibility in complex geology and irregular tunnel s..

Modi Government Pushes Atmanirbhar Container Drive With BCSL MoU

The Union Government advanced a plan to create an integrated, domestically anchored container ecosystem with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL). The MoU was signed by key agencies including the Shipping Corporation of India and Container Corporation of India alongside major port authorities and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in the presence of senior ministers. The initiative aligns with the Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme announced in the Union Budget 2026–2..

Ministry Reports Gains In Mobility For Marginalised Communities

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing skill development, education and rehabilitation schemes to promote socio-economic mobility and sustainable livelihoods for marginalised and disadvantaged communities across the country. Programmes target Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections, De-notified Tribes and Safai Karamcharis through specialised implementing corporations and empanelled training institutes. Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana, or PM-DAKSH, provided skill training and placement support through the Nati..