Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 31 : The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) will host a regional roadshow in Guwahati on Tuesday (September 2) as a precursor to India Maritime Week (IMW) 2025, which is scheduled to take place in Mumbai from October 27 to 31.
The Guwahati roadshow will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders from across the country to deliberate on the future of inland waterways, with special focus on river cruise tourism and urban water transport systems.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal, is expected to join the show along with other senior officials of the Ministry and the IWAI.
Top officials, along with transport ministers from all the Northeastern states--Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim--have been invited and are expected to attend the show.
Union Minister of State for MoPSW, Shantanu Thakur, along with the Secretary of MoPSW, TK Ramachandran, is also expected to be present during the deliberations.
"India Maritime Week is our flagship platform to showcase the immense potential of the maritime and inland waterways sector. By hosting the roadshow in Guwahati, we aim to underline the Northeast's strategic role in driving river cruise tourism and modern urban ferry systems, which can redefine connectivity and sustainable growth for the region. Assam, along with the whole of the Northeast, has a rich and dynamic waterways network which must be optimally utilised to promote sustainable tourism. At this roadshow, we will hedge our thoughts along with the industry leaders from the region to chalk out a broader agenda on sustainable tourism with cruise along with ferry integration," Sunil Kumar Singh, Chairman in-Charge of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), said.
The programme will begin with a welcome address by the Chairman in charge of IWAI, followed by a special address from the Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Vijay Kumar, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, TK Ramachandran.
Panel discussions will spotlight opportunities in cruise tourism and innovations in urban water transport, featuring representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, state tourism boards, the Inland Waterways Authority of India, and leading cruise operators.
The sessions will also highlight the integration of Northeast waterways with national and international trade and tourism corridors.
The roadshow will conclude with a presentation on India Maritime Week 2025, covering the program agenda, exhibition opportunities and industry partnerships.
The Guwahati event is one of several regional outreach initiatives designed to build momentum for India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai, which is expected to attract global participation from the shipping, logistics, cruise tourism and inland waterways sectors.