The maiden edition of Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) in Kolkata culminated with many firsts in an effort to ramp up capacity and augment viability of inland waterways of the country.

The meet, chaired by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal was attended by key stakeholders including ministerial representations from states as well as prominent stakeholders including policy makers and the industry leaders.

Highlights of the meeting

• India’s First Inland Waterways Development Council commits Rs 45,000 crore for development of River Cruise Tourism
• Cargo trade via Inland Waterways set to grow volume by 400% at 500 MTPA, Rs 15,200 crore investment committed at GMIS
• Shri Sarbananda Sonowal launches ‘Harit Nauka’ guidelines and ‘River Cruise Tourism Roadmap, 2047' at the IWDC in Kolkata
• MoUs signed at GMIS worth Rs 15,200 crore in a bid to boost capacity in Inland Waterways
• Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port registers turnaround performance, aims at Rs 550 crore net profit in FY2023-24