The Centre is preparing to scale up water metro systems across India's cities, with the Kochi Water Metro emerging as the template for a nationwide network aimed at easing urban congestion through cleaner, electric water transport.
The push, however, will require a dedicated national policy, a legal framework similar to the Metro Rail Act, and a rapid expansion of domestic boat manufacturing capacity if the concept is to move beyond isolated projects, according to Loknath Behera, managing director of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL), which operates India's only water metro.
"There should be a separate Water Metro Act, just like the Metro Rail Act," Behera told in an interview to Mint. “If the system has to be standardised across the country, there has to be one policy, one regulatory framework and one set of operating standards.”
The comments come as the Union government explores water metro projects in multiple states under its broader strategy to promote sustainable urban mobility and better utilize India's vast network of rivers, lakes, backwaters and coastal waterways.
The ministry of ports, shipping and waterways (MoPSW) is also formulating the National Water Metro Guidelines, 2026 to support the planning, implementation, safety standards and promotion of eco-friendly water-based public transport systems. The guidelines cover zero- and low-emission technical frameworks, standardization requirements, financing structures, environmental safeguards and inter-ministerial coordination.
Queries emailed to MoPSW remained unanswered till press time.
Growing pipeline
KMRL, along with the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), has already completed feasibility studies for 18 locations across the country on behalf of the Union shipping ministry and is preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) for Mumbai and Goa. Several other states, including Gujarat, Odisha and Karnataka, have also approached the agency for similar studies.
Meanwhile, four hybrid-electric vessels have already been deployed in Varanasi, Ayodhya, Patna and Kolkata, while one hydrogen fuel-cell vessel has been deployed in Varanasi.
According to Behera, interest has accelerated after Kochi's success, where the electric water metro has carried more than 6.5 million passengers using just 20 boats in a little over three years of operations without a major accident.
Unlike conventional ferry services, he said, the water metro is designed as a complete urban transport ecosystem integrating digital ticketing, multimodal connectivity, safety protocols, environmentally friendly vessels and scheduled operations.
"It is not about putting boats in the water. It is about creating a metro system on water," he said.
The Kochi fleet operates almost entirely on lithium-titanium battery technology, using hybrid propulsion only as an emergency backup. The vessels have also been designed to minimise wave generation, reducing ecological damage to fragile water bodies.
While water metro services are expected to complement rather than replace existing transport systems, Behera believes they can become a major solution to congestion in coastal and riverine cities.
Mumbai alone could require 180-200 water metro boats once its network expands, he said, while the long-term national requirement could run into several hundred vessels as more cities adopt the model.
Scaling hurdles
That ambition, however, exposes another challenge.
India currently has limited manufacturing capacity for specialised electric passenger boats, with Cochin Shipyard Ltd having built Kochi's fleet. Behera said multiple public and private shipyards could manufacture such vessels, but demand aggregation and standardisation would be essential before companies invest in dedicated production lines.
"Like metro coaches, once there is visibility of demand, manufacturers will come," he said, adding that domestic production could eventually support exports as well.
Behera also argued that the institutional architecture for water metro systems remains undefined.
Unlike urban metro rail projects, which operate under a clear legal and regulatory framework, water transport falls across multiple jurisdictions involving states, inland waterways authorities and maritime regulators.
A dedicated law, he said, should define safety standards, operational protocols, vessel specifications, regulatory oversight and institutional responsibilities, while also providing clarity on approvals for future projects.
He also favours creating a national authority to regulate and standardise water metro systems on the lines of other transport regulators.
KMRL itself may create a separate business development or advisory division to support states implementing new projects, similar to the consulting role played by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation during the early expansion of metro rail systems across India.
The company, however, is unlikely to become the operator for multiple cities.
"Our role should be to help build the ecosystem, transfer knowledge and maintain uniform standards," Behera said.
The projects are also expected to generate significant employment. Every water metro vessel requires trained crew and operational staff, creating hundreds of jobs while opening opportunities for communities traditionally dependent on waterways.
Looking ahead, Behera sees water metro becoming an integral part of India's multimodal transport strategy by 2047, with nearly 50 cities potentially adopting the system wherever navigable waterways exist.
"For a country blessed with such extensive water resources, urban water transport remains hugely underutilised," he said. “Water metro can become one of the most sustainable and efficient modes of transport for Indian cities.”