India’s coastal shipping sector is chronically underutilised relative to its potential — carrying approximately 12–13% of India’s freight tonne-kilometres despite covering 7,516 km of coastline and connecting every major industrial cluster to every major port. Inland waterways, particularly National Waterway 1 on the Ganga, are operational but underused for industrial bulk freight. Both modes emit approximately 10–15 gCO₂/tkm — comparable to electrified rail and 7–9× lower than diesel road freight. For industrial shippers adjacent to coast or river systems, these are the lowest-carbon freight options available without infrastructure investment.