Discussions on a number of digital initiatives for the inland waterways sector were an important part of the third meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) on Friday in Kochi, Kerala.
The day-long meeting, chaired by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal, has also seen more than Rs 1,500 crore of investments into current and upcoming waterways projects.
One of the key digital projects discussed at the IWDC 3.0 is the Cargo Data Portal (CAR-D Portal), a centralised database for inland vessels that captures cargo and cruise movement data with direct digital inputs from Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) field officers, state governments, and terminal operators.
The portal, which is already up and running, aims to deliver actionable insights on traffic trends, commodity flows, vessel operations, and cruise activity for inland waterways across the country.
This was among the key announcements made at the third meeting of the #inlandwaterways Development Council (IWDC) on January 23. #maritimenewshttps://t.co/BqY3joTdtW
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This enables informed planning, real-time monitoring, and evidence-based policy-making, especially across National Waterways (NWs).
The IWAI Vessel Tracker and Panel Portal supplements the CAR-D Portal by further improving the ease of navigation and safety for inland vessels.
It offers real-time vessel tracking, route maps, fairway depth information, and voyage monitoring.
The IWDC 3.0 also saw the National River Traffic and Navigation System (NRT&NS)—a framework for the regulation of river traffic management launched in January 2025—brought to Maharashtra. Its digital portal, called NauDarshika, is powered by satellite navigation AIS, electronic navigational charts, and smart navigation aids.
Rounding off the inland vessel tracking and management ecosystem is a single-window system for vessel and crew registration, called Jalyan & Navic.
The idea is to integrate vessel registration, certification, crew management, and regulatory compliance, in order to eliminate duplication, reduce delays, and enable seamless data-driven governance.
These major investments into India's #inlandwaterways are expected to accelerate green mobility and river-led economic growth. #maritimenews
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The Jal Samriddhi Portal, also discussed at the IWDC 3.0, has a different purpose and usage from the ones above. Rather than vessel tracking, it focuses on infrastructure development in the inland waterways sector, with a view to attract private investments and improve the ease of doing business.
This online portal has a fully digitised approval system that allows public and private entities to apply for (and track) terminal approvals in a time-bound manner.
