**Executive Summary**
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated four waterway projects in Assam with a total investment of ₹526 crore. These projects, implemented by the Inland Waterways Authority of India, aim to boost infrastructure on the Brahmaputra River (NW-2), enhance tourism, and foster economic development. Key components include an elevated road corridor, cruise terminals, and a Regional Centre of Excellence, with a focus on improving connectivity and skill development in the Northeast region.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Project Overview and Investment:**
* Four projects launched with a combined investment of ₹526 crore on the Brahmaputra River (NW-2).
* Projects are being implemented by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).
* Assam is being positioned as a model for the new future of the Northeast, the "Ashtalakshmi."
* **Elevated Road Corridor:**
* A ₹180 crore elevated road corridor connecting Pandu Port in Guwahati to National Highway-27 has been dedicated.
* This corridor addresses the last-mile connectivity gap between river terminals and the national highway network.
* It is engineered to bypass Guwahati's urban congestion, improving operational flexibility and port connectivity, thereby reducing logistic costs.
* **Cruise Terminals:**
* Foundation stone laid for Cruise Terminals at Biswanath Ghat and Neamati.
* These projects, with a combined investment of ₹158 crore, are part of an effort to build modern cruise infrastructure along NW-2.
* The terminals will enhance passenger amenities, support river cruise operations, and generate economic opportunities in tourism, hospitality, and handicrafts for local communities.
* The commencement of work for modern cruise terminals at Neamati Ghat and Biswanath Ghat was announced.
* **Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE):**
* Bhoomi Poojan performed for a ₹188 crore Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel, Dibrugarh.
* This will be the first maritime skill development hub of its kind in Northeast India.
* The RCoE will train over 5,000 students annually in vessel operations, inland navigation, and maritime logistics.
* It will also house research and development infrastructure for crew and trainee programmes, building skilled manpower for the inland waterways sector.
* **Economic and Tourism Impact:**
* Projects are expected to provide new avenues for employment for Assam's youth and boost the state's prosperity.
* Emphasis on tourism as an opportunity for employment and development, expanding water tourism possibilities on the Brahmaputra River.
* Growth of cruise tourism is anticipated to create new employment opportunities for local youth, artisans, and handicraft workers, increasing income for shopkeepers, boatmen, and those in the hotel and transport sectors.
* Tourism in Assam is evolving into a new engine of local development and public prosperity.
* The Brahmaputra is being transformed into a highway of opportunity, becoming an economical and environment-friendly mode of transportation.
**Impact Analysis**
**Local Youth**
* **Impact:** Increased employment opportunities due to the growth of the maritime industry, cruise tourism, and related sectors.
* **Action Required:** To equip themselves for upcoming opportunities by participating in training programs, potentially at the RCoE.
**Local Artisans and Handicraft Workers**
* **Impact:** Access to new markets and increased income through enhanced tourism and economic activity along the Brahmaputra.
* **Action Required:** To leverage the growing tourism sector to sell their products and services.
**Farmers, Traders, and Manufacturers**
* **Impact:** Benefit from cost advantages offered by the improved inland waterways system, strengthening the economic artery of the Northeast.
* **Action Required:** To utilize the enhanced logistics and connectivity for trade and transport.
**Local Communities along the Brahmaputra**
* **Impact:** Generation of fresh economic opportunities in tourism, hospitality, and handicrafts through the development of cruise terminals.
* **Action Required:** To develop and offer services catering to tourists and cruise operations.
**Inland Waterways Sector**
* **Impact:** Strengthened infrastructure, improved operational flexibility, and reduced logistic costs, leading to new growth opportunities.
* **Action Required:** To integrate and leverage the new infrastructure and connectivity to advance the sector.
Key Entities Referenced
National Waterway-2 (NW-2): The primary waterway where the inaugurated projects are being implemented.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW): The ministry responsible for the implementation of the projects.
Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI): The implementing agency for the projects on river Brahmaputra (NW-2).
Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel: A key project focused on maritime skill development and training.
Assam: The location central to the applicability and impact of the policy.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Elevated Port
Corridor in Guwahati, Launches Multiple
Waterways Projects with ₹526 Crore Investment
in Assam
“Assam is today becoming a model for the new future of our
Northeast , Ashtalakshmi; The progress here is giving new
momentum to the entire Northeast”: PM Modi
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal joins Prime Minister
Modi as Bhoomi Poojan performed for ₹188 crore Regional
Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel, Dibrugarh
₹158 crore for Cruise Terminals at Biswanath Ghat & Neamati
on Brahmaputra (NW-2)
₹180 Crore Elevated Corridor at Pandu Port bridges the Last-
Mile Gap Between River and Road, Putting Northeast's
Logistic growth on the Fast Track
Posted On: 13 MAR 2026 9:32PM by PIB Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation a state-of-the-art elevated road corridor
connecting Pandu Port in Guwahati to National Highway-27, while also laying the foundation stone for
the Cruise Terminal at Biswanath Ghat and performing the Bhoomi Pujan for the Regional Centre of
Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel, Dibrugarh, and the Cruise Terminal at Neamati. The four projects
represent a combined investment of ₹526 crore to boost infrastructure on inland waterways on river
Brahmaputra (NW-2), as these projects are being implemented by the Inland Waterways Authority of India
(IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).
The Prime Minister announced that the work of building modern cruise terminals at the famous Neamati
Ghat and Biswanath Ghat has also commenced from today. PM Modi emphasised that this is not merely
an infrastructure project , it is a step that will give a new direction to tourism and the local economy in
Assam. The Prime Minister stated that the current government has not limited tourism to just sightseeing
but has viewed it as a major opportunity for employment and development. PM Modi noted that with this
very vision, the possibilities of water tourism on the Brahmaputra River are being expanded. The Prime
Minister highlighted that once the cruise terminals are built, cruise operations on the Brahmaputra willadvance further, and it will become even easier for tourists from India and around the world to reach
Assam. PM Modi stated that as cruise tourism grows, new employment opportunities will be created for
local youth, artisans and handicraft workers will find new markets, and the income of small shopkeepers,
boatmen, and people associated with hotels and transport will also increase. "Tourism in Assam is no
longer limited to just travel and sightseeing ,it is becoming a new engine of local development and public
prosperity," asserted PM Modi.
The programme was held at Jyoti-Bishnu Auditorium, Guwahati, in the august presence of Assam
Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister
for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal among other dignitaries.
Prime Minister Modi has consistently recognised the immense potential of inland waterways as an
environment-friendly and cost-effective mode for passenger and cargo transport. Under his leadership, a
new phase of connectivity and growth has taken shape across the northeastern states through terminals,
jetties and waterways-linked infrastructure that is transforming livelihoods and deepening India's Act East
Policy commitments.
The Prime Minister stated that Assam is today emerging as a model for the new future of India's North
East , the Ashtalakshmi. PM Modi noted that the progress of Assam is giving new momentum to the entire
North East. Urging every youth and every family, PM Modi asserted, "We must work together for a Viksit
Assam so that Assam emerges as a model state in the nation.”
The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for the privilege of being on the sacred land of Maa Kamakhya
on the eve of Navratri. "I have been blessed with the fortune of having your darshan on this pious land of
Maa Kamakhya, just before Navratri begins," said PM Modi.
Sarbananda Sonowal said the projects inaugurated and initiated were a direct expression of Prime Minister
Modi's vision for a developed and connected Northeast. "Prime Minister Modi ji has done what decades of
governance could not — he has turned the Northeast from a region of promise into a region of progress.
The Brahmaputra is no longer just a river. Under his leadership, it is becoming a highway of opportunity
for millions of people. With his able leadership, the inland waterways are being transformed as the most
economical and environment-friendly mode of transportation. Strengthening them has established the path
of transformation of India's logistics sector unlocking new growth opportunities,”
The elevated road corridor connecting Pandu Port Complex to NH-27, built with an investment of ₹180
crore, addresses the critical last-mile connectivity gap between one of NW-2's principal river terminals and
the national highway network. Engineered to bypass Guwahati's urban congestion, the corridor ensures
seamless two-access to Pandu Port, improving operational flexibility and port connectivity reducing
logistic cost considerably.
The Cruise Terminal at Biswanath Ghat, for which the foundation stone was laid on Friday, is part of a
coordinated effort to build modern cruise infrastructure along the Brahmaputra (NW-2). The terminal will
enhance passenger amenities, support river cruise operations and generate fresh economic opportunities
for local communities in tourism, hospitality and handicrafts.The Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, for which the Bhoomi Pujan was
performed, is being developed with an investment of ₹188 crore. The first maritime skill development hub
of its kind in Northeast India, the RCoE will train over 5,000 students annually in vessel operations, inland
navigation and maritime logistics. It will also house research and development infrastructure for crew and
trainee programmes, building the skilled manpower base that India's expanding inland waterways sector
requires.
The Cruise Terminal at Neamati, also initiated through a Bhoomi Pujan on Friday, will strengthen cruise
tourism and organised passenger movement along NW-2, improving infrastructure for tourists and
communities along the Brahmaputra corridor. The two cruise terminal projects at Biswanath Ghat and
Neamati carry a combined investment of ₹158 crore.
"These projects worth thousands of crores are creating new avenues of employment for Assam's youth and
are boosting the state's prosperity," asserted PM Modi. The Prime Minister highlighted that in the past
decade, the current government has undertaken a monumental initiative towards self-reliance.
"The Brahmaputra has always been the lifeline of the north-east — but we never truly harnessed its
potential as an engine of growth. Our dynamic Prime Minister Modi ji has changed that. Waterways offer
cost advantage which directly benefits farmers, traders and manufacturers across the Northeast. The re-
energised waterways system in the region strengthens that economic artery at its most critical juncture.
The upcoming cruise terminals at Biswanath Ghat and Neamati will act as new livelihood platforms for
enriching thousands of families along the river. The Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel
ensures this growth is sustainable by building the skilled human capital to expand this ecosystem for the
benefit of the next generation. Thousands of our youths will now be able to equip themselves to be a part
of the upcoming and booming maritime industry. Under Modiji's Act East Policy, the Brahmaputra is
becoming an empowered conduit connecting Assam to Southeast Asia — through a mode of transport that
is green, inclusive and sustainable,” said Sarbananda Sonowal.
Together, the four projects are designed to boost trade, tourism, skilling, employment generation, reduce
logistic cost and facilitate regional and global connectivity along National Waterway-2, advancing the
Government of India's broader vision for developing Brahmaputra as a transformative logistics and
tourism corridor for Assam and the wider Northeast.***
MI/PN/IY
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