Water transport in India

Water transport in India has played a significant role in the country's economy and is indispensable to foreign trade.

India is endowed with an extensive network of waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks and a long coastline accessible through the seas and oceans.

It is one of the cheapest modes of transport in India, as it takes advantage of natural track and does not require huge capital investment in construction and maintenance except in the case of canals.

India has a 6,100 kilometres (3,790 mi)-long coastline with only twelve major ports: Mumbai, Kandla, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (at Nehru Seve), Marmagaon, New Mangalore and Kochi on the west coast, alongside Kolkata, Chennai, Haldia, Paradeep, Vishakhapatnam and Tuticorin on the east coast.

[4] This has the potential to greatly reduce the cost of transportation and lower the nation's carbon footprint by moving traffic from surface roads and railroads to waterways.

[6] Freight transport by waterways is highly under-utilized in India compared to other large countries and geographic areas such as the United States, China and the European Union.

About 44 million tonnes (49,000,000 short tons) of cargo are moved annually through these waterways using mechanized vessels and country boats.