In November 2025, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), signed a series of Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) worth over Rs.6000 crores, aimed at transforming river-based transport and tourism infrastructure along the Ganga National Waterway (NW)-1 in Uttar Pradesh (UP) during the India Maritime Week(IMW) 2025 held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- The MoUs, representing one of the biggest recent investments in India’s inland‑waterways sector, focus on cruise tourism, ship‑repair facilities, clean‑energy transport, cargo movement, and skill development.
Exam Hints:
- What? MoUs signed by IWAI
- Purpose: To transform Ganga NW-1 (UP)
- Value: Over Rs.6000 crores
- Cruise Tourism: Heritage River Journeys & Alaknanda Cruises (Rs.800 crores)
- Ship repair facility: Government of UP (Rs.350 crores), two cruise terminals (Rs.200 crores)
- Cargo Capacity: Rhenus Logistics (Rs.1000 crores)
- Skill & Research: To establish RCoE in Varanasi (Rs.200 crores)
- Dredging: NTCPWC (Rs.1,500 crores)
- Multimodal connectivity: IPRCL (Rs.1,500 crores)
Key Details of MoUs:
Overview: 25 MoUs were signed to enhance inland waterways, with UP focusing on Varanasi(UP) and the Ganga corridor.
Cruise Tourism: Signed MoUs worth Rs.800 crores with Heritage River Journeys Private Limited and Alaknanda Cruises Limited to introduce new cruise vessels and expand tourism on NW‑1, including heritage routes in Varanasi along the Ganga.
Ship Repair & Terminal Development: Signed agreements with Government of UP to develop a ship repair facility with a budget outlay of Rs.350 crores in Varanasi.
- Additionally, a MoU was signed to build two new river cruise terminals with an investment of Rs.200 crores, significantly improving passenger facilities and operational capacity.
EV Charging Station: Signed MoU worth Rs.100 crores for establishing electric vessel (EV) charging stations along the river Ganga, with an aim to promote sustainable and low-emission transport, aligning with Government of India (GoI)’s National Green Shipping Mission (NGSM).
Cargo Movement: Signed MoU with Rhenus Logistics India Private Limited for Rs.1000 crores to introduce modern tug-barge fleets, enhancing cargo-carrying capacity and improving multimodal logistics efficiency along the waterways, aimed at improving cargo movement on the rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra.
Skill Development & Research Hub: Signed an agreement to establish a Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) with a budget outlay of Rs.200 crores in Varanasi to support skill development, research and innovation in inland water transport, vessel design and green technologies.
- This move will help build a trained workforce and promote advanced studies in waterway operations.
Dredging Supervision: IWAI signed an MoU worth Rs.1,500 crores with National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways, and Coasts (NTCPWC), a CoE at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras, Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN), for dredging supervision on NW-1 to ensure smooth navigability on the River Ganga.
- NTCPWC is the technology arm of MoPSW, GOI.
Multimodal Connectivity: Signed MoU worth Rs.1,500 crores with Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL), MoPSW, with an aim to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) and Project Management Consultant (PMC) services for enhancing railway connectivity to multi-modal terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj (Jharkhand) and Haldia (West Bengal, WB).
Key Notes:
- The River Ganga, with a length of 2,525 kilometres (km), originates from Gangotri Glacier in Uttarakhand, flowing through Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, and WB before joining with the Bay of Bengal.
- National Waterway-1 includes a major stretch of the river from Varanasi to Haldia.
About Uttar Pradesh (UP):
Chief Minister (CM) – Yogi Adityanath
Governor – Anandiben Patel
Capital – Lucknow
Tiger Reserve (TR) – Amangarh TR, Ranipur TR
