Abstract

India’s inland waterway system presents significant opportunities for enhancing economic growth reducing transportation costs and promoting environmentally sustainable logistics. Inland waterways have historically been underutilized primarily due to infrastructural limitations regulatory hurdles and seasonal variations in water levels. With the increasing emphasis on multimodal transport and sustainable development there is renewed interest in leveraging rivers canals and estuaries to facilitate cargo movement reduce road congestion and decrease carbon emissions. This research paper examines the prospects and challenges of expanding India’s inland waterway network focusing on infrastructural development policy frameworks technological integration and environmental management. The study employs a mixed-method approach combining quantitative analysis of traffic volumes cargo capacity and cost efficiency with qualitative assessment of policy implementation stakeholder perspectives and env