The Brahmaputra, running through the heart of the state of Assam, provides a vital link for both urban and rural ferry services which are the single most important transport mode for many sections of the population, especially rural households in Assam. These ferry services are provided by the Directorate of Inland Water Transport Assam, and by country boat operators – typically small independent and informal private businesses. In addition to the 106 ferry service routes designated by the Directorate of IWT, there are numerous routes licensed by the local (village) and district councils. Other users of the river include the Central Inland Water Corporation Limited (a Government of India Undertaking transporting cargo and operating some terminals on the rivers in the Eastern India & North-Eastern India and on the Indo-Bangladesh protocol routes), border security forces, tourist organizations and private operators. Navigation on the Barak River (152 km) is minimal at present, but the river is designated as National Waterway 16 under the National Waterways Bill (2015).

The Directorate of Inland Water Transport, Assam was established in 1958 under Transport Department and is responsible for developing, maintaining and regulating IWT services in the state. It also operates and maintains many of the passenger transport services, ferry terminals and navigation aids on both Brahmaputra and Barak Rivers. Headquartered in Guwahati, it has three divisional offices in Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Silchar; five sub-divisional offices in Guwahati, Goalpara, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Hailakandi; and three commercial offices at Guwahati, Goalpara and Dibrugarh. It also has a Crew training centre at Guwahati. DIWTA currently has a total of about 3085 regular staff.

The ferry industry as a whole is characterized by an aging and poorly equipped fleet. Most demand is now met by the informal sector operating traditional country boats without supporting infrastructure. Terminal facilities and navigational aids are insufficient. Most ferry terminals consist of no more than improvised moorings on the bank of the river, which require relocation with changing river conditions, often over substantial distances. In the absence of bank protection, the main ferry terminals in or close to the urban centres (provided with floating, movable steel pontoons and temporary access roads) also typically require frequent relocation as river conditions change across seasons. The cargo sector is small partly because of market circumstances, partly because of connectivity problems and partly because the navigation standards provided do not permit reliable year round use by large modern vessels that can deliver competitive advantage over other transport modes. The Government of Assam wishes to transform the quality of inland water transport services and integrate high quality passenger and vehicle ferry services, and inland water freight transport into Assam’s wider transport network system. In the early twentieth century, inland waterways were a significant mode of transport for freight and passengers in India but, as in many countries, the influence first of railways, and then of road motorization, has led to a neglect of IWT. Better utilization of Assam Waterways for mobility-centered economic development is a necessity today. Development of models for integrated urban transport planning and an infrastructural solution that provides mobility for commuters and goods are required to define and address contextually-sensitive economic growth and urban planning for many cities along Assam Waterways. Development of ferry services at various urban locations viz. Guwahati and Dibrugarh as well as locations in rural areas which are vital to enhance connectivity to the riparian communities dependent on IWT in the state of Assam may largely contribute towards the holistic development of the region. Benefits offered by such systems to cities that have historically relied on the Assam Inland Waterways include considerable traffic decongestion, better intermodal connectivity, and economic revitalization of the urban core. Transit-oriented development and optimal use of this river requires coordination with various stakeholders, state governments, municipalities, and private players that will benefit from and contribute to capital improvements that link river-based infrastructure to transportation and logistics systems in the region.