 December 2022An India–Sri Lanka passenger ferry service is set to be launched between Kankesanthurai port in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, and Pondicherry, India, in January 2023. In a special discussion, Mr. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Ports, Shipping, and Civil Aviation Minister of the Government of Sri Lanka, shared that the ferry service would start in January 2023. The Government of India already extended approval of the program. Read More Tags: India, Sri Lanka, Inland waterways, Ports |
 September 2022The 8th Commerce Secretary Level Meeting (CSLM) between Bangladesh and Bhutan endorsed the Agreement on Movement of Traffic-in-Transit and its Protocol for signing; the renewal of the memorandum of understanding on the use of inland waterways; and the signing of the amended Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) with regard to the MoU on the use of inland waterways. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Trade, Trade Facilitation, Inland waterways |
 June 2022 |
 June 2022Bangladesh is undertaking projects to strengthen interregional connectivity, such as ADB-supported South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) initiatives on cross-border connectivity. These SASEC initiatives, through regional and national SASEC transport projects, will develop infrastructure and systems that will improve cross-border connectivity and boost intraregional trade. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, India, Inland waterways, Transport |
 June 2021The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is pushing for the development of waterway connections to increase trade between India's northeastern states and Bangladesh. According to Mr. Biswajit Chakraborty, FICCI director for the northeast chapter, developing waterway connectivity would benefit the lives and livelihoods of people living across the Meghna basin. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, India, Trade, Inland waterways |
 April 2021Experts discussed unique opportunities in river tourism between Bangladesh and India at a public-private dialogue on India-Bangladesh cross-border tourism and cruise operations organized by CUTS International on 29 April 2021. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, India, Inland waterways, Transport, Tourism |
 February 2020Inland waterways is an important pillar of ‘Arth-Ganga,’ a project that aims to channelize economic activity along the banks of Ganga River to promote inclusive growth for India and generate enormous employment opportunities. The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Shipping of the Government of India. Read More Tags: Inland waterways, India, Nepal, Trade Facilitation, Logistics |
 July 2019An Indian cargo ship carrying a shipment of stone aggregate from Bhutan has arrived in Bangladesh. It passed through the Brahmaputra River in India. It was the first shipment to take the route, saving an estimated 30% transportation cost and travelling at half the time it would take for the shipment to travel by land. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Inland waterways, Transport |
 July 2019Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance, India, announced during her budget speech on 5 July 2019 that the opening of a protocol route between India and Bangladesh would be the start of a water grid program. The water grid would connect India’s northeaster region to Kolkata and Haldia ports in India and Mongla port in Bangladesh, allowing for seamless movement of import and export cargo and reduced logistics cost. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, India, Inland waterways, Transport |
 March 2019Senior officials met to review India-Nepal bilateral transit and trade treaties and agreed to discuss inland waterways facilities, which could reduce transit cost significantly once implemented. The two countries also agreed to install facilities for electronic cargo tracking on cargo bound for Nepal. Read More Tags: Inland waterways, India, Nepal, Transport, Electronic Cargo Tracking System |
 January 2019India is working to develop its inland waterways to increase economic connectivity with Southeast Asia. The project will connect India’s northeastern states with Bangladesh and Nepal and boost trade in the region as part of India’s Act East Policy. Read More Tags: Inland waterways, India, Southeast Asia, Transport |
 November 2018India Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first inland waterways terminal on the Ganga River in Varanasi, and received the first inland container vessel which journeyed from Kolkata. The Prime Minister heralded the arrival of the container as 'historic' for India. The inland waterways terminal is part of a planned multimodal terminal on the Ganga in Varanasi. The waterway route links eastern Uttar Pradesh to the Bay of Bengal. It promises to save time and money, lessen road traff Read More Tags: Inland waterways, India, Transport, World Bank |
 October 2018Bangladesh and India signed three bilateral memoranda of understanding to strengthen transport between the two countries using inland waterways. The pacts include an agreement for the use of Mongla and Chattogram (formerly Chittagong) ports in Bangladesh for transporting goods to and from India and the operation of cruise vessels on the protocol routes. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, India, Shipping, Transport, Inland waterways |
 October 2018A seminar on inland waterways emphasized on the potential impact of connectivity between India and Nepal. As a cost-effective, safe, and environment-friendly transport option, it could shape the future of trade, tourism, and navigation between India and Nepal, according to Mr. Barsha Man Pun, Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Government of Nepal. Access to India's Haldia port may also open the market to Nepal’s less marketed commodities, noted Mr. Pun. Read More Tags: Bangladesh, India, Shipping, Transport, Inland waterways |
September 2018 A team of technical experts from Nepal undertook an official visit to India to (i) study India’s inland waterway infrastructures in consideration of Nepal's needs, and (ii) hold discussions with their counterparts in India. This field visit follows the meeting between Indian and Nepalese government officials held in July 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Read More Tags: India, Nepal, Trade, Transport, Shipping, Inland waterways |
 April 2018The Governments of India and Nepal held an India-Nepal Inter-Governmental Committee Meeting on Trade, Transit, and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade, led by Commerce Secretaries of the two Governments. They discussed bilateral trade, transit, and economic relations, and agreed to conclude measures to further improve bilateral trade and investment ties. Read More Tags: India, Nepal, Trade Facilitation, Transport, Transit, Inland waterways, Standards Harmonization |
 April 2018India and Nepal are set to develop the inland waterway linkage between their countries to promote efficient and more cost effective movement of goods. India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli issued a joint statement on forging this new route—which will also open additional sea access to landlocked Nepal—between the two countries on 7 April 2018, during Prime Minister Oli's state visit to India. Read More Tags: Connectivity, India, Inland waterways, Nepal, LLDC |
