Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced a comprehensive ₹5,000-crore investment package aimed at transforming the Northeast into a vital hub of water-based connectivity, commerce and tourism. Addressing a press conference as part of the “A Decade+ of Transformation in the Northeast” outreach campaign, Sonowal detailed a wide range of infrastructure, skill development, and regional integration initiatives to be implemented under the Ministry’s mandate.
Highlighting more than a decade of progress in India’s maritime sector, Sonowal stated that major ports have nearly doubled in capacity, cruise tourism is growing with new terminals, and India’s ports are now globally competitive with nine ranked among the top 100 in the World Bank index—Visakhapatnam Port even entering the top 20. He attributed this success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of inclusive development, green shipping and youth empowerment, backed by historic legislative and digital reforms.
Sonowal announced that over the next decade, 50,000 youth from the Northeast will receive maritime skill training and employment opportunities. A Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC) in Guwahati and a ₹200-crore Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh will anchor this plan, each generating 500 jobs annually. This training strategy is expected to upskill youth across the region and provide a pipeline of qualified personnel for India’s growing maritime economy.
The Ministry has executed projects worth ₹1,000 crore in the Northeast’s inland waterways over the last two years, with ₹300 crore already completed and ₹700 crore on track for completion by 2025. These include permanent cargo terminals at Pandu, Jogighopa, Dhubri, Bogibeel, Karimganj, and Badarpur; dredging to maintain fairways; a new approach road to Pandu Port; heritage restoration in Dibrugarh; tourist jetties worth ₹299 crore; and plans to establish lighthouses at Bogibeel, Biswanath Ghat, Silghat and Pandu, all equipped with IMD forecasting capabilities.
Feasibility studies for Water Metro projects in Guwahati, Tezpur and Dibrugarh have been completed, while cruise vessels are being procured under central schemes. Similar initiatives are being undertaken to expand inland water transport infrastructure in Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, with the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route now offering strategic alternatives to the Siliguri Corridor.
Sonowal announced that the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, developed under the India-Myanmar Friendship Treaty, will be fully operational by 2027. It links Kolkata to Sittwe Port in Myanmar and further to Mizoram and Tripura via road and inland waterways. Once operational, it will reduce costs and transport time for trade among India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar. The region will benefit from trade in rice, timber, seafood, petroleum products and textiles from Myanmar, while importing construction materials such as cement, steel and bricks.
To strengthen cargo logistics, 100 barges operated by a global logistics major will be deployed on National Waterways 2 and 16 by 2025. Ten state-of-the-art amphibian and cutter section dredgers will be introduced to ensure all-weather navigability, supported by an investment of ₹610 crore. Additionally, 85 community jetties will be constructed to improve last-mile connectivity for rural populations.
To bolster tourism and regional trade, ₹300 crore will be invested in building tourism and cargo jetties at Silghat, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat and Guijan. The integrated approach includes green shipping, skill development, regional trade, tourism and community empowerment—aligning with Prime Minister Modi’s “Act East” policy and philosophy of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.”
Sonowal concluded that these strategic interventions will transform the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers into economic arteries and reaffirm India’s commitment to inclusive, sustainable growth for the Northeast region.
