Budget 2026 puts India on a new course with Rs 10,000 crore for containers & waterways

India will operationalise 20 inland waterways, boost local container manufacturing, and support coastal cargo movement, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech on Sunday.

The National Waterway-5 (NW-5) in Odisha will "connect mineral rich areas of Talcher and Angul with industrial centres like Kalinga Nagar to the Ports of Paradeep and Dhamra," Sitharaman said.

She also announced a ₹10,000-crore scheme for container manufacturing.


Ports, shipping, and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the budget initiatives will help create a globally competitive ecosystem for ports, shipping, and waterways in the country.

"Import of empty containers was leading to wasteful foreign exchange outgo. This will be plugged in the coming days with containers being made in India," Sonowal said.

According to official estimates, India imports nearly two million empty containers per annum.

"The proposed Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme targets annual domestic manufacturing capacity of around 1 million 20-foot containers over the next decade," an official told ET.

Sitharaman said ship repair facilities catering to inland waterways will be set up in Varanasi and Patna.

She also announced a Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme to incentivise a modal shift from rail and road. It is expected to double the share of inland waterways and coastal shipping to 12% by 2047 from 6% now.