New Delhi: On Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new initiative aimed at boosting container manufacturing, with a substantial budget of Rs 10,000 crore allocated over the next five years to foster a competitive manufacturing environment.

To enhance the eco-friendly transportation of goods, she introduced a plan for improving construction and infrastructure equipment (CIE), aimed at bolstering domestic production of advanced and high-value CIE.

During her Budget address, Sitharaman also proposed the creation of Dedicated Freight Corridors that will link Dankuni in the East to Surat in the West.

Additionally, she revealed that the government plans to operationalize 20 new National Waterways (NW) within the next five years, beginning with NW-5 in Odisha, which will connect mineral-rich regions like Talcher and Angul to industrial hubs such as Kalinga Nagar and the Ports of Paradeep and Dhamra.

A ship-repair ecosystem for inland waterways is also set to be established in Varanasi and Patna.

Furthermore, the minister proposed a Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme aimed at encouraging a shift from rail and road transport to increase the share of inland waterways and coastal shipping from 6% to 12% by the year 2047.

She emphasized the establishment of training institutes as Regional Centres of Excellence to develop the necessary workforce, which will provide opportunities for youth along the waterways to gain skills and training.