The Union Government has rolled out an ambitious plan to invest Rs 5,000 crore in the development of waterways across the Northeast, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to transform the region into a vital hub of waterways-based trade, tourism, and employment under the Modi government’s "Act East" policy.

Over the past 11 years, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has led significant transformation across India’s maritime sector, achieving record growth in cargo handling, port capacity, and coastal shipping. Major ports have nearly doubled their capacity, cruise tourism is expanding, and India now boasts nine ports ranked among the World Bank’s top 100—Visakhapatnam Port even breaking into the top 20. The ministry is also training 50,000 youth from the Northeast for maritime jobs over the next decade, supported by the Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC) in Guwahati and a Centre of Excellence (CoE) being set up in Dibrugarh with a Rs 200 crore investment. These centres are expected to generate around 500 jobs annually.

“The Northeast is no longer landlocked — it is now well on its way to becoming India’s gateway to Southeast Asia,” Sonowal said. “With Prime Minister Modi ji’s visionary leadership, we are empowering youth and unlocking economic opportunities through infrastructure, skills, and connectivity.”

Over the past two years, the Ministry has undertaken inland waterway projects worth Rs 1,000 crore in the Northeast, of which Rs 300 crore worth of works are already complete, and the remaining Rs 700 crore is expected to be finished by 2025. Key developments include permanent cargo terminals at Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, Bogibeel, Karimganj, and Badarpur, round-the-year fairway dredging, a new approach road to Pandu Port, and heritage site restoration in Dibrugarh. In addition, tourist jetties worth Rs 299 crore are being built, and lighthouse projects are planned at Pandu, Biswanath Ghat, Silghat, and Bogibeel.

Feasibility studies for cruise operations in Guwahati, Tezpur, and Dibrugarh have been completed, with vessels being procured under central schemes. Efforts are also underway to expand inland water transport (IWT) infrastructure and water-based tourism in Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. The operationalisation of the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR) is expected to open up new trade corridors that bypass the Siliguri Corridor, boosting regional trade and aligning with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Updating on the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP), Sonowal confirmed the project—part of the India-Myanmar Friendship Treaty—is on track for completion by 2027. Once operational, it will provide direct access to international sea routes for the Northeast. The project includes the Sittwe Port in Myanmar, connected to Paletwa via inland waterways and further to Zorinpui in Mizoram by road. This corridor will benefit states like Tripura by significantly reducing transportation time and costs. Cargo exports from Myanmar will likely include rice, timber, seafood, petroleum products, and garments, while imports are expected to focus on construction materials like cement, steel, and bricks.

To further boost cargo movement in the region, the ministry plans to deploy 100 modern barges operated by global logistics major Rhenus by 2025, along with 10 state-of-the-art amphibian and cutter suction dredgers at an investment of Rs 610 crore. Additionally, 85 community jetties will be developed across the Northeast to improve last-mile connectivity.

“To unlock the true economic potential of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers, we are investing Rs 610 crore in cutting-edge dredgers for all-weather navigability,” Sonowal said. “Combined with the deployment of modern barges and construction of community jetties, we aim to build a sustainable and integrated waterways network that empowers local communities.”

Highlighting the region’s tourism and trade potential, the government plans to invest Rs 300 crore in building new cargo and tourism jetties at Silghat, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat, and Guijan. Urban water transport is also being modernised with upcoming Water Metro projects in Guwahati, Tezpur, and Dibrugarh, for which feasibility studies have already been completed.

To support these efforts, lighthouses equipped with IMD centres are being set up in Pandu, Tezpur, Biswanath, and Bogibeel with assistance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, to provide accurate local weather data.

“These initiatives reflect the Modi government’s unwavering commitment to inclusive growth and sustainable development,” Sonowal added. “The Northeast is being positioned as a central player in India’s maritime future—driven by infrastructure, skills, and strategic vision.”