International logistics operator Rhenus Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). As part of the agreement, Rhenus will begin operating barges on India’s key national waterways – the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, as well as on the NW-1, NW-2, NW-16 routes and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol. In the first phase, the company will deploy pushers and 20 barges from Germany, each capable of carrying up to 400 tonnes, with the possibility of combining them to transport up to 1,200 tonnes per trip.
Rhenus intends to expand the fleet to 100 barges as demand grows and to cover new corridors across India. The company will adapt its European port logistics and shipping expertise – with more than 1,000 vessels operating daily on European rivers – to Indian conditions, supporting the sustainable and efficient development of the waterborne transport sector.
The project will be part of India’s National Logistics Plan and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 strategy, which aims to strengthen multimodal logistics. By 2025, Rhenus plans to transport more than 1 million tons of cargo annually, contributing to the modernization of the country’s transport infrastructure.