KALADAN MULTI-MODAL TRANSIT PROJECT

CURRENT CONTEXT: Union Minister Sonowal announced that the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) between India and Myanmar will be fully functional by 2027, reducing transit distance between Kolkata and Aizawl by ~700 km.

 ABOUT KMTTP:

• Framework: Bilateral agreement (India–Myanmar, 2008); nodal agency: Ministry of External Affairs with IWAI as PDC .
• Corridor components:
  • Sea: Kolkata → Sittwe Port
  • River: Sittwe → Paletwa via Kaladan River
  • Road: Paletwa → Zorinpui → Aizawl
• Investment & Support: ₹5,000 cr for northeastern waterways; ₹1,000 cr specifically for Kaladan waterway; maritime skills for 50,000 youth.
• Benefits:
  • Cuts Kolkata–Aizawl distance by 700 km (1,800 to ~1,100 km).
  • Offers alternative access bypassing Siliguri Corridor.
  • Boosts India–Myanmar–ASEAN trade and connectivity with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal.