"Harnessing the mighty rivers of South Asia to build an effective multi-modal transport strategy will give the region a competitive edge on the global scene," says Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director for India. "This project will allow India to move goods seamlessly between road, rail and water, and bring down logistics' costs.  Importantly, it will help IWAI put in place environmentally-sustainable strategies for inland navigation that can be replicated on other waterways in India and other countries."

Today, goods in India travel by congested road and rail networks, which slows cargo movement, adds to uncertainties, and generally increases the costs of trade logistics. Although carrying bulk goods on waterways is cheaper, more reliable and less polluting than transporting them by road or rail, India has yet to develop this cheaper and greener mode of transportation.

END