Cruise tourism is a nature-driven tourism experience that explores India’s rivers, seas, and canals for themed journeys across all budgets. It provides safe and comfortable access to even remote destinations, promoting inclusivity and ease of travel.
- Cruise tourism comprises 4 key segments: ocean cruises (international cruises), coastal and island smaller ships and luxury yachts cruises, National Waterways (NWs) cruises, and island & coastal & river bank assets.
Key Points:
i. India has 12 major and 200 minor ports along the coastline across the west and east.
ii.It has a network of over 20,000 kilometers (kms) long navigable 110 waterways connecting around 400 rivers.
iii.There are various Indian states, Union Territories (UTs) and 1,300 islands which are along the coastline or along the banks of states/inter-state rivers or NWs.
Indian Government Initiatives to Boost Cruise Tourism:
1.About Cruise Bharat Mission(CBM):
i.The ‘Cruise Bharat Mission (CBM)’ was launched by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) on September 30, 2024, from Mumbai Port (Maharashtra). It aims to boost the country’s cruise tourism industry by doubling cruise passenger traffic within 5 years (by 2029).
ii.The mission outlines a framework for inter-ministerial approach for crafting interventions along policy, regulatory, and other key factors governing the cruise sector.
iii.It is projected that CBM will result in over 1.5 million river cruise passengers over more than 5,000 kms of Operational Waterways in India. It aims to create 4 lakh cruise sector-specific jobs.
iv.The mission focuses on 3 different segments:
- Ocean & Harbour: It includes deep-sea, coastal, yachting, and sailing cruises.
- River & Inland: It involves cruises on rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks, and lakes.
- Island: It includes inter-island, lighthouse, expedition, live-abroad, and boutique cruises.
Phase-wise Implementation :
The CBM will be implemented in 3 phases, starting from October 1, 2024 up to March 31, 2029.
i.Phase-I (from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025): This phase of CBM focuses on conducting studies, master planning, and forming cruise alliances with neighbouring countries.
ii.Phase-II (from October 10, 2025 to March 31, 2027): It aimed to focus on developing new cruise terminals, marinas, and destinations to activate high-potential cruise locations and circuits.
iii.Phase-III (from April 01, 2027 to March 31, 2029): It focuses on integration of all cruise circuits across the Indian Subcontinent.
Key Performance Targets :
i.Sea cruise passengers are expected to increase from 0.5M (125 calls) in Phase-I to 1M(500 calls) by Phase-III.
ii.River cruise passengers are estimated to grow from 0.5M to 1.5M.
iii.International terminals will increase from 2 to 10 and river cruise terminals to double from 50 to 100.
iv.Marinas are expected to increase from 1 to 5; employment from 0.1M to 0.4M.
2.Maritime India Vision 2030:
i.The Government of India(GoI’s) Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030 aims to make India a significant player in the global cruise market, both for ocean and river cruises.
- India has the potential to grow by 8-times over the next decade (10 years), driven by increasing demand and disposable incomes.
ii.Under MIV 2030, interventions have been identified across 3 key areas: Oceanic and Coastal Cruise, Island and Infrastructure Development, River & Inland Cruise.
3.Key Initiatives taken by IWAI to boost River Tourism:
i.The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the MoPSW, has been planning to develop the navigational channel on waterways along with navigational aids and carrying out dredging (process of removing sediments), if necessary, in some NWs.
ii.It also plans construction of vessel berthing, facilities at various points along the waterways for ease of movement of tourists.
iii.Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi launched the Motor Vessel (MV) Ganga Vilas, the world’s longest river cruise in January 2023. This 32,000 km long journey from Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh, UP) to Dibrugarh (Assam) traversed 27 river systems across 5 Indian states and Bangladesh.
4.Key MoUs Signed by IWAI with various State Governments:
i.MoU with Delhi : In March 2025, IWAI and MoPSW signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various Delhi government agencies to develop a 4 kilometer (km) stretch of Yamuna (NW-110) between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur into a hub for eco-friendly cruise tourism.
ii.MoU with J&K : In March 2025, IWAI signed a MoU with the government of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) to promote river cruise tourism across 3 designated NWs in the state.
- At present, India has total 111 NWs spread across 23 states and 4 Union Territories (UTs), of which J&K has 3 NWs i.e. River Chenab (NW-26), River Jhelum (NW-49), and River Ravi (NW-84).
- Also, IWAI has pledged nearly Rs 100 crore to develop cruise tourism infrastructure and experiences across these routes.
iii.MoU with Gujarat & MP: IWAI has signed a tripartite agreement with the governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh (MP) to start cruise operations from Kukshi (MP) to Sardar Sarovar Dam (Gujarat) on April 19, 2024.
5.Other Key Developments for River Cruise Tourism:
i.Stakeholders conference was held in Kolkata (West Bengal, WB) and Kochi (Kerala) in March-April 2024 and in Delhi (on May 03, 2024) for promoting river cruise tourism.
ii.The 1st Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) meeting held on the vessel ‘Ganges Queen’ in Kolkata, WB in January 2024. The GoI has pledged Rs 45,000 crore for development of river cruise tourism.
- Out of this total amount, Rs 35, 000 crore allocated for cruise vessels and remaining Rs 10,000 crore for development of cruise terminal infrastructure at the end of Amrit Kaal-by 2047.
iii.During the inaugural session of IWDC meeting, ‘River Cruise Tourism Roadmap 2047’ was launched. It focuses on 4 key pillars, including infrastructure, integration, accessibility and policy for boosting river cruise tourism.
About Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI):
It was established in 1986 under IWAI Act, 1985. It is mandated with the development and regulation of waterways which are declared NWs in India.
Chairman- Vijay Kumar
Headquarters- Noida, Uttar Pradesh (UP)
About Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW):
Union Minister- Sarbananda Sonowal (Constituency- Dibrugarh, Assam)
Minister of State (MoS)- Shantanu Thakur (Constituency- Bangaon, West Bengal, WB)
