India eyes moving e-commerce cargo through Ganga river

India is readying a route on the Ganga river to move e-commerce cargo using the National Waterway 1. An agreement on these lines was signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Amazon Seller Services for promoting cargo movement and transportation of customer shipments and products on Wednesday.

An official statement said this partnership seeks to harness the efficiency and sustainability of water transport to optimize logistics, diminish environmental footprints, and promote economic development.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “This partnership would be an important step towards enhancing the movement of e-Commerce cargo through our Inland Waterways. The maiden ship with e-commerce cargo will be flagged off from Patna to Kolkata soon.”


According to a World Bank report, rail and road transport consume 18.5% and 91.6% more fuel than water transport, making it the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

To accelerate water transport within the country Sagarmala has embarked upon 113 projects worth Rs 7,030 crore related to passenger and goods movement through inland waterways. Out of these, 15 projects worth Rs 1,100 crore have been completed and 32 projects worth Rs 3,900 crore are under implementation, the statement added.

Cargo handled by the Inland Waterways stood at 126 million tonnes (MT) during 2022-23. Under the Maritime India Vision 2030, inland water transport volumes will reach 200 MT per annum by 2030. The Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 projects waterway cargo to reach 500 MT per annum.