India and Bhutan are actively examining the potential of inland water transport systems—particularly the Brahmaputra River (National Waterway 2) and the multimodal terminal at Jogighopa in Assam—to significantly expand cross-border trade and transit connectivity. The proposals were reviewed in detail during a high-level bilateral meeting between Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Bhutan’s Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Lyonpo Chandra Bahadur Gurung.
The talks centered on utilizing river corridors to help Bhutan overcome logistical limitations inherent to its landlocked geography. The leaders assessed the feasibility of integrating the Manas and Sankosh river systems with National Waterways, which would enable seamless multimodal cargo transit through Assam to wider international markets. Beyond infrastructure development, Minister Sonowal highlighted specialized maritime and inland waterway training initiatives for Bhutanese youth at the upcoming Centre of Excellence in Dibrugarh, aiming to cultivate human resources alongside expanding bilateral trade linkages.