India is rapidly developing a network of inland ship repair and maintenance facilities to strengthen inland water transport and reduce dependence on coastal and foreign repair services.
Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur said inland waterways have become a key focus of the country’s maritime growth strategy. Under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the government aims to make inland waterways engines of economic progress.
The new ship repair facilities (SRFs) are expected to reduce vessel downtime, lower maintenance costs, create employment, promote technical skills, and engage MSMEs across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and the North East. Two SRFs have already been commissioned in Patna and Varanasi along the Ganga (National Waterway-1), while a third is under construction at Pandu, Guwahati, to serve vessels operating on the Brahmaputra (NW-2) and Barak (NW-16) rivers.
Officials said the Pandu facility will become a major maintenance hub for the North East and enhance regional trade connectivity with Bangladesh and Bhutan. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), which is implementing the projects, aims to decentralise maritime infrastructure from coastal regions to inland river systems.
Both the Patna and Varanasi SRFs are equipped with modern dry docks, workshops, and floating repair units capable of handling cargo and passenger vessels. To further boost capacity, the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK) has partnered with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) and Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL). Additionally, a 128-acre site at Jellingham near Medinipur has been allotted to Atreya Shipyard Pvt Ltd for dry docking and vessel repair operations.
The inland ship repair programme builds on IWAI’s earlier achievements under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP), which established world-class multimodal terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj, and Haldia. The broader goal is to create a self-reliant inland vessel ecosystem — where ships are designed, built, maintained, and repaired within the country.
Designed with waste management, water recycling, and energy-efficient systems, the SRFs also support India’s vision of a sustainable blue economy. The long-term aim, officials said, is to develop a complete maritime value chain — from ship design and construction to repair and recycling — positioning India as a leading global maritime nation by 2047.
