HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Nov 22: In a landmark development, Amazon India and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to embark on a transformative journey in the transportation of customer packages through inland waterways, said an official statement on Wednesday.
With this development, Amazon India becomes the first e-commerce company in the country to use Inland Water Transport, reaffirming its long-term commitment to strengthening its transportation infrastructure in India. The collaboration with IWAI is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision for the greater use of inland waterways as an affordable and sustainable mode of transportation.
“Under this MoU, Amazon India and IWAI will work together to enable the containerized cargo movement and build a network for the usage of inland waterways for cargo shipment. Amazon India will start exploring inland waterways as a part of its supply chain, and a pilot run on Patna to Kolkata waterways will be initiated soon with the support of IWAI and its carriers. This is a reinforcement of Amazon India’s commitment to continue building capacity to meet the increasing customer demand and collaborate with government authorities to explore mutually beneficial projects for the e-commerce industry,” the statement added.
Speaking on the occasion, union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, said, “This MoU with Amazon India marks a significant step towards harnessing the potential of India’s Inland Water Transport. Our focus is on increasing cargo movement through river systems, which is a more sustainable and economical mode of transport. I congratulate Amazon India in their endeavour to collaborate with IWAI to create a waterways transportation solution. This initiative is a reflection of the importance of sustainable logistics solutions in India’s rapidly expanding e-commerce sector.”
This strategic collaboration between IWAI and Amazon India is poised to drive innovation, sustainability, and efficiency in cargo transportation, contributing to India’s economic growth and development.
“Over the last few years, we have taken many positive steps to build our fulfilment, transportation, and logistics infrastructure in the country. This MoU between Amazon India and the Inland Waterways Authority of India is poised to develop a transformative offering that will open up new possibilities for all e-commerce companies to leverage the country’s extensive inland waterways. We remain committed to our global mission to transform the future of logistics and seek to harness the potential of the country’s rivers, canals, and other water bodies to enhance logistics and transportation efficiency for the Indian e-commerce industry at large,” said Abhinav Singh, vice president, operations, Amazon India.
With the advent of inland waterways operation, Amazon will be able to utilize all possible modes of transport in the country, including Rail, Air, Water, and Surface, to ensure faster, cost effective, sustainable and more reliable delivery of customer packages and provide a wider reach to its millions of sellers.
