On May 18, 2026, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) circulated the Draft National Water Metro Policy, 2026 for inter-ministerial and state consultations following a high-level review chaired by Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. The proposed policy seeks to create a standardized national framework for deploying water-based urban public transport systems using India’s navigable inland waterways.
Building on the operational model of the Kochi Water Metro, the policy aims to integrate inland waterways into urban mobility systems while also supporting tourism, last-mile connectivity, and low-carbon transportation goals.
Phased Rollout Across 18 Cities
The proposed rollout covers 18 identified cities with navigable riverine or coastal networks. Under Phase I, priority deployment is planned in major urban and religious-tourism centres such as Guwahati, Srinagar, Patna, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj. Phase II will extend services to additional regional and industrial towns including Tezpur and Dibrugarh.
Project preparation is being supported by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) under the direction of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). KMRL has completed site visits across all identified locations and submitted draft techno-economic feasibility reports for 17 cities, several of which have already been formally accepted.
Key Technical & Eligibility Benchmarks
National Project Footprint: Targeted deployment across 18 identified cities with navigable river or coastal networks.
Core Fleet Technology: Mandates electric and hybrid propulsion systems to drive green shipping and maximize fuel savings.
Primary Demographics: Prioritizes cities with a population exceeding one million and high-density commuter or tourist traffic.
Regulatory Flexibility: Relaxes strict population criteria if the project connects water-locked zones, slashes road gridlock, or improves flood resilience.
Financial Structural Models: Incorporates joint Centre-State capital sharing, 100% State funding, 100% Central funding, and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
Indigenization Mandate: Enforces the Aatmanirbhar Bharat directive for domestic vessel construction, standardized terminal designs, and automated charging infrastructure.
What is a "Water Metro"?
A Water Metro is an integrated, water-based urban mass public transit system that utilizes a fleet of advanced, energy-efficient electric or hybrid ferries operating along fixed routes and timetables, seamlessly connected to land-based metro and bus networks. Unlike conventional point-to-point ferry services or localized tourist boats, a Water Metro behaves exactly like a traditional rapid transit rail system. It incorporates modern floating jetties, automated fare collection gates, real-time passenger information displays, and standardized safety protocols. By operating on existing navigable channels, it serves as a mass transit alternative requiring minimal land acquisition and low capital investment compared to overhead or underground rail lines.
Policy Relevance
Capital-Light Urban Decarbonisation: Water Metros utilize existing natural waterways, allowing municipal bodies to bypass heavy expenditure on land acquisition and civil construction, delivering a mass transit network at a fraction of the cost of traditional rail extensions.
De-risks Urban Agglomeration Gridlock: Introducing high-frequency electric fleets in tier-1 and tier-2 river cities provides an alternative transit corridor, moving daily commuters off oversaturated road networks.
Fosters Regional Maritime Identity: The policy’s mandate to use locally appropriate building materialsensures that terminal architectures preserve regional heritage and support landscape sustainability rather than imposing generic concrete structures.
Institutionalizes Inter-State Co-Regulation: Circulating the draft guidelines to State Governments prevents jurisdictional friction, ensuring uniform safety codes, vessel dimensions, and bunkering designs across different river basins.
Expands Climate and Flood Resilience: Operating specialised amphibious or hybrid vessels ensures that transit networks remain functional during heavy monsoons and urban flooding events, providing uninterrupted connectivity to remote or water-locked populations.
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