NewzVille Desk
Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal launched a dedicated digital portal developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to invite private investment in infrastructure development on National Waterways.
With a ceremony, the Minister formally inaugurated the initiative, which is aimed at facilitating ease of doing business (EODB) and encouraging private investment in inland water transport (IWT) in the country.
The launch follows the introduction of the National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals) Regulations, 2025, which lays out a framework for private players to invest in the construction and operation of jetties and terminals across India’s national waterways network.
As per the newly notified National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals) Regulations, 2025, any entity — including private players — can now develop or operate an inland waterway terminal on a National Waterway by securing a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NoC) from the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). The regulations apply to both existing and new terminals, whether permanent or temporary.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said, “The launch of the National Waterways Regulations, 2025, along with the digital portal developed by IWAI, marks a transformative step in India’s maritime and logistics ecosystem. By enabling private participation in developing jetties and terminals, we are going to unlock immense potential for sustainable infrastructure growth in the inland waterways transportation.”
As part of the launch event, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal handed over the first No Objection Certificate (NoC) issued through the new digital portal to Mumbai-based Marina India Infrastructure Private Limited.
The event was also attended by Vijay Kumar, Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), among other senior officials from IWAI and the Ministry.
