Water taxi plans in Mumbai: Nitin Gadkari pushes for use of FRP material

According to FRP Institute, the Indian composites raw materials market was pegged at US $1.8 billion by the end of 2024. The domestic composites materials industry will keep growing at a 7.8% CAGR reaching US $2.8 billion by 2030. The composite end product market is US $4.6 billion in 2024 and expected to reach US $7.2 billion by 2030.

Mumbai: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari pushed for use of composites fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) for the proposed water taxi services which would connect Mumbai and its far suburbs of Vasai-Virar in Palghar district and Kalyan-Dombivli in Thane district to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport in Raigad district.

“We need 10,000 water taxis in Mumbai," Gadkari said addressing the 11th edition of International Conference and Exhibition on Reinforced Plastics (ICERP) 2025.

At the conference hosted by the FRP Institute, Gadkari revealed that jetties have already been constructed near the Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is slated to commence operations by March 2025.

FRP Institute Chairman Shekhar Sardessai, said composites materials, or fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP), stand out for their unique ability to combine diverse properties like strength, durability, and lightweight design, making them indispensable for modern applications. “These materials not only drive efficiency and innovation across industries but also contribute to a circular economy by promoting sustainability,” he said.

“By harnessing the vast sea routes around Mumbai and Thane and with composite material for taxis, we can significantly reduce traffic congestion and air pollution,” added Gadkari.

Gadkari added that the FRP Institute keeping the quality of composites intact must explore potential uses for this material while addressing cost challenges to increase its contribution in the growth story of our country.

He added that composites are promising and a reduction by 25–30 per cent using advanced technology and local raw materials will boost this industry in India and abroad as its applications are in Defence, Automotive, Shipping, Infrastructure, Construction, Aerospace among others. Composites is a futuristic material, and can drive infrastructure development, innovation, and competition, benefiting the country's progress significantly.

According to FRP Institute, the Indian composites raw materials market was pegged at US $1.8 billion by the end of 2024. The domestic composites materials industry will keep growing at a 7.8 per cent CAGR reaching US $2.8 billion by 2030. The composite end product market is US $4.6 billion in 2024 and expected to reach US $7.2 billion by 2030.

Piya Thakkar, who chairs ICERP 2025, highlighted how composites play a key role in sparking new ideas across industries and molding India's future. “The Indian Composites Industry is now picking up pace in its growth. As India moves towards becoming a world economic leader, the future looks very bright for the Indian Composites Industry. The US $4.6 billion Indian Composites products industry also known as reinforced plastics is expected to hit US $7.2 billion in 2030,” she said.

India is becoming a global manufacturing hub for the composites industry. It is known to design, develop, and make cost effective products with new tech ideas. This puts India in a good spot to be the world's top place to source composite material. The FRP Institute says the Indian Composites Material Industry is growing fast. It will use 768.2 kilotons by 2027. This growth is happening in cars, planes, defence, buildings, and clean energy.