Centre launches five-year Cruise Bharat Mission

The Shipping Ministry unveiled a five-year Cruise Bharat Mission on Monday. An official statement said the mission will aim to integrate all circuits across the Indian Subcontinent. This includes developing 10 Sea Cruise Terminals, 100 River Cruise Terminals, and five Marinas under the mission.

Speaking at the launch of the mission, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal said this will lead to doubling cruise calls and passengers within five years. The centre also aims to establish Cruise Alliances with neighbouring countries such as UAE, Male, Maldives, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia among others.

An official statement said the mission is divided into three phases till 2029. The key performance target includes increasing sea cruise passengers from 0.5 million in Phase 1 to 1 million by Phase 3. Sea cruise calls will rise from 125 in the first to 500 by the third phase. River cruise passengers will also grow from 0.5 million in the first phase to 1.5 million by the third phase.


The mission targets three key cruise segments. These are the Ocean & Harbour Cruise segment which encompasses ocean cruises, including deep-sea and coastal cruises, along with harbour-based yachting and sailing cruises. The River and Inland Cruise segment focuses on river and inland cruises on canals, backwaters, creeks, and lakes. The Island Cruise segment highlights inter-island cruises, lighthouse tours, live-aboard experiences, expedition cruises, and boutique cruises to lesser-known destinations.