India is rapidly expanding its inland ship repair and maintenance network to strengthen inland water transport and reduce reliance on coastal or foreign services, according to officials.

The Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur, said inland waterways are now central to India’s maritime growth. Under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the government aims to make inland waterways engines of economic growth.

The new ship repair facilities (SRFs) are designed to reduce vessel downtime, cut maintenance costs, create jobs, promote technical skills, and involve MSMEs in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and the North East.

Two SRFs have been commissioned in Patna and Varanasi on the Ganga (National Waterway-1), while a third is under construction at Pandu, Guwahati, for the Brahmaputra (NW-2) and Barak (NW-16) rivers. The Pandu facility is expected to become a key hub for vessel maintenance in the North East and boost trade with Bangladesh and Bhutan.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), responsible for implementing the projects, aims to decentralise maritime infrastructure from the coastline to the rivers. The Patna and Varanasi SRFs are equipped to handle various vessels, including cargo carriers and passenger ferries, with modern dry docks, workshops, and floating repair units.

The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), has partnered with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) and Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) to expand repair capacity. A 128-acre plot at Jellingham near Medinipur has been allotted to Atreya Shipyard Pvt Ltd for dry docking, vessel repair, and related work.

The inland ship repair programme complements IWAI’s earlier achievements under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP), including world-class multi-modal terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj, and Haldia. Officials said the goal is to build a self-sustaining inland vessel ecosystem, where ships are constructed, maintained, and repaired locally.

The new SRFs are designed with waste management, water recycling, and energy-efficient systems, supporting India’s vision of a blue economy that balances growth with environmental responsibility.

The government’s long-term goal is to create a full maritime value chain, from ship design and building to repair and recycling, helping India become a leading global maritime nation by 2047.

Reference: PTI