By: Sh. Vijay Kumar

Imagine a future India where goods glide on barges instead of trucks, logistics corridors slide along rivers instead of highways, and the carbon footprint shrinks even as trade expands. That future is not fantasy—it is within reach. For India to be Viksit Bharat and truly Atmanirbhar, Inland Water Transport (IWT) has to be the backbone of a sustainable logistics revolution.

Rivers have carried India’s trade for 4,000 years. They connected Lothal to Rome, Bengal to Burma, and Assam to the rest of Southeast Asia. However,roads and railways, with their glitter of speed and steel, pushed rivers into the background. Today, in an age of climate warnings and economic pressures, the tide is turning. Not out of romance, but out of necessity.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi

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