The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has handed over the Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal in West Bengal to IRC Natural Resources, marking a step in the government’s plan to expand inland waterway infrastructure through public-private partnerships, according to the official press release.
Developed by IWAI under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways with financial and technical assistance from the World Bank, the Haldia terminal has an annual handling capacity of 3.08 million metric tonnes. The facility was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 13 January 2023.
Located near National Highway 41, the terminal is expected to receive rail connectivity, strengthening its role as a multimodal logistics hub.
To manage operations, IWAI adopted a Public-Private Partnership model on an Equip, Operate and Transfer basis. The concessionaire was chosen through an open bidding process for a 10-year operation and maintenance contract, extendable by five years.
IRC Natural Resources won the bid with a royalty quote of ₹105.03 per metric tonne of cargo handled, payable to IWAI.
The operationalisation of the Haldia terminal is expected to facilitate cargo movement via inland waterways, offering a cost-effective and less polluting alternative for transporting goods to the North Eastern states and Bangladesh.
The move aligns with the government’s Jal Marg Vikas Project, aimed at improving capacity along the 1,390 km National Waterway-1 — the Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly river system passing through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
