Guwahati, July 7: Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, on Monday unveiled a comprehensive ₹5,000 crore investment plan to transform the waterways and maritime ecosystem across Northeast India.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, the minister announced a slew of initiatives ranging from youth skilling, cruise tourism, and inland waterway cargo terminals to urban Water Metro projects and strategic international connectivity through the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project.
“This is a turning point for the Northeast. Under the leadership of PM Modi ji, our vision is to turn the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers into engines of growth,” Sonowal said.
With a target to train 50,000 youth from the region in maritime skills over the next decade, the government will operationalise a Maritime Skill Development Centre (MSDC) in Guwahati and a ₹200 crore Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Dibrugarh. Both centres are expected to generate 500 jobs annually, addressing regional unemployment and feeding into India’s growing maritime sector.
“Our youth are the backbone of this transformation. We are committed to training, enabling and empowering them for a global maritime future,” Sonowal stated.
Over the past two years, the Ministry has undertaken ₹1,000 crore worth of inland waterway projects in the region — of which ₹300 crore has been completed, with the rest expected by 2025.
Additionally, 10 modern dredgers worth ₹610 crore will be deployed for year-round navigability and 100 barges operated by German logistics giant Rhenus will ply National Waterways 2 and 16 by 2025.
Sonowal confirmed that the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) — a critical India-Myanmar-Bangladesh corridor — will be fully operational by 2027. The project enables direct maritime and road access from Sittwe Port in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram, bypassing the Siliguri Corridor and creating new regional trade routes.
“Once operational, this route will connect the Northeast with Southeast Asia, opening new trade channels for Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar,” Sonowal said, calling it a strategic milestone under the Act East Policy.
To support regional tourism and modern mobility, the Ministry announced ₹300 crore for cargo & tourism jetties at Silghat, Neamati, Biswanath Ghat and Guijan, Cruise tourism projects in Guwahati, Tezpur and Dibrugarh, New lighthouses with IMD weather centres at Pandu, Tezpur, Biswanath and Bogibeel.
Also Read: Over 3,000 flee into Mizoram as Chin armed groups clash in Myanmar’s Chin State
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