Through a newly established Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Rhenus Group, a prominent global logistics service provider, is set to commence barge operations across various National Waterways in India. The initial phase of this ambitious undertaking will see Rhenus introduce a fleet of push boats and 20 flat-bottom barges, sourced from Germany. Each of these barges will have a carrying capacity of 400 tonnes, and they can be combined to facilitate the transportation of up to 1,200 tonnes of cargo per single voyage, reports Mid Florida Newspapers.
Positive Collaboration
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Rhenus India and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) on May 5, 2025, at the IWAI office. The formal exchange of the MoU took place the following day, May 6, 2025, in the presence of the Hon’ble Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. The Minister’s presence highlighted the Indian government’s strong dedication to strengthening inland waterways as a crucial component of India’s logistics infrastructure. Rhenus expressed its pride in supporting India’s Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 and in taking a leading role in shaping the future of sustainable logistics and contributing to India’s logistics transformation.
India possesses an extensive network of over 14,500 kilometers of navigable waterways, encompassing 111 National Waterways. The country’s Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector, overseen by IWAI, has experienced significant growth, with cargo volumes increasing substantially from 30 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) in 2014 to 133 MMTPA in 2024.
Rhenus India will introduce its Inland Waterways Transport solutions, specifically barge scheduled services designed to facilitate cargo transport on two major Indian rivers: the Ganga River and the Brahmaputra River. These sustainable and cost-effective logistics solutions will enable seamless cargo movements both within India and to neighboring countries. Through this initiative, Rhenus is extending its established expertise in port operation and inland navigation from Europe to the Indian subcontinent.
Initially, Rhenus India plans to operate barge services on National Waterways NW-1, NW-2, NW-16, and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route (IBP). The company intends to gradually expand its operations to include other national waterways across the country. A combination of pushers and barges, tailored for low-draft navigation in these waterways, will be deployed to transport both Bulk and Break-Bulk cargo across North & East India, North-East India, and subsequently to neighboring countries. Leveraging Rhenus’s extensive experience in Europe, where it operates 1,000 vessels daily on all navigable waterways, the company will now apply its Port Logistics expertise, particularly in European inland navigation, as well as resources from its European Waterways fleet to further support the growth of India’s IWT sector.
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Source: Mid Florida Newspapers
