Germany's Rhenus Group to run 100 barges on India's inland waterways

In what could be a major driver for India’s underutilised inland waterways sector, one of Europe’s largest riverine operators, Rhenus Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to operate 100 barges on Indian rivers.

 

“As part of the MoU, Rhenus will introduce 100 barges in a phased manner on national waterways, with 20 barges and six pushers to be deployed in the first phase, targeting the movement of more than one million tonnes of cargo annually by the end of 2025. The MoU will introduce inland waterways transport solutions and barge scheduled services. This will be scaled up to 100 barges within a few years to cover more national waterways under its ambit,” a statement by the shipping ministry said.

 

The Group’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tobias Bartz, had told Business Standard in October 2024 that the company intended to invest at least $100 million in India’s fledgling rivers for cargo operations — particularly project cargo.

 

At the onset, Rhenus will operate on National Waterways 1 (Ganga), 2 (Brahmaputra) and 16 (Barak), as well as the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route. These operations will facilitate the movement of bulk and break-bulk cargo across North, East and Northeast India, with gradual expansion to other national waterways.

 

“Leveraging Rhenus’ expertise in European inland navigation and a global fleet of over 1,100 barges, the partnership aims to integrate global best practices into the Indian IWT ecosystem. A combination of pushers and barges suited to low-draft navigation will be used to transport both bulk and break-bulk cargo,” the ministry said.

 

Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the ministry, through such initiatives, is focused on unlocking the full potential of inland water transport as a national growth engine powering the hinterland towards sustainable development and vigorous growth.