“Two Luxury Cruise Ships for Brahmaputra Coming by 2027 With \u20b9250 Crore Investment:\u201d Sarbananda Sonowal<\/p>\n
\u201cA historic opportunity to showcase India\u2019s maritime strength to the world\u201d with participation expected from over 100 countries and more than 100,000 stakeholders, Sonowal said for India Maritime Week<\/p>\n
\u201cBy 2047, our goal is to handle 10,000 MMT of EXIM cargo and 500 MMT through inland waterways\u201d: Sarbananda Sonowal<\/p>\n
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the upcoming\u00a0\u2018India Maritime Week\u2019<\/em>\u00a0in Mumbai from Oct. 27\u201331, where he will deliver the keynote address at the Global Maritime CEO Forum.<\/p>\n Speaking at the Water Voyage Northeast 2025 conference in Guwahati, Sonowal described the event as\u00a0\u201ca historic opportunity to showcase India\u2019s maritime strength to the world\u201d<\/em>\u00a0with participation expected from over 100 countries and more than 100,000 stakeholders. Sarbananda Sonowal said the Prime Minister\u2019s presence will reaffirm India\u2019s global maritime leadership at a time when the sector is undergoing unprecedented transformation.<\/p>\n \u201cIndia Maritime Week will not only be a confluence of ideas, but a confluence of confidence,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Sarbananda Sonowal said.\u00a0\u201cThe way Prime Minister Modi has guided our maritime vision, the world now looks at India as a trusted partner and a rising maritime power. His presence at the Global Maritime CEO Forum will inspire global industry leaders to invest in India\u2019s growth story.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The Minister also revealed a major development for the Northeast: two luxury cruise ships are being built at a combined investment of \u20b9250 crore for deployment on the Brahmaputra River. These ships, currently under construction at Hooghly Cochin Shipyard in Howrah, Kolkata, will be launched in 2027, providing a new dimension to Assam\u2019s river tourism under the Cruise Bharat Mission.<\/p>\n Maritime reforms and transformation<\/strong><\/p>\n Sonowal said India\u2019s maritime ecosystem has been reshaped since 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Flagship initiatives such as Sagarmala, the Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030, and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision (MAKV) 2047 are transforming ports, shipping, and inland waterways.<\/p>\n Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted that port capacity has nearly doubled, cargo handling has reached 1,600 million metric tonnes, and turnaround time at ports has reduced to 22 hours.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom five operational waterways in 2014, we now have 30 today,\u201d Sonowal noted. \u201cCargo movement on inland waterways has grown from 18 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 145 million tonnes last year. These are not just statistics, they are milestones of transformation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The Minister underscored the green transition being led by the Harit Sagar policy and Harit Nauka initiative, which promote clean fuels, renewable energy, and eco-friendly inland vessels. He also highlighted the Jalvahak Scheme, launched in December 2024, which incentivises cargo transport over 300 km on National Waterways 1, 2, and 16 through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route with up to 35% reimbursement of operating expenditure.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the Jalvahak scheme and fixed day scheduled sailings, we are not just moving cargo, we are moving confidence. We are providing the industry with predictability, affordability, and sustainability,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Sarbananda Sonowal said.<\/p>\n Northeast at the Center of Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n The Union Minister placed special emphasis on the Northeast\u2019s role in the maritime roadmap. Over \u20b91,000 crore has been invested in inland waterway infrastructure in the region, of which \u20b9300 crore worth of projects are complete and the rest nearing completion.<\/p>\n Sarbananda Sonowal said,\u00a0\u201cUnder the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we are unlocking the immense maritime potential of the Northeast. A \u20b9239 crore ship repair facility at Pandu \u2014 the first of its kind in the region \u2014 will be ready by 2026. By September 2025, a \u20b9180 crore dedicated approach road will directly link NH-27 to Pandu Port. To boost cruise tourism, we are investing \u20b9299 crore in new tourist jetties at Guijan, Neamati, Bishwanath Ghat and Silghat. At Dibrugarh, a \u20b9188 crore Regional Centre of Excellence is being developed to train 5,000 maritime professionals, empowering our youth to lead India\u2019s maritime growth story.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe Brahmaputra is not just a river, it is our lifeline. By developing modern cruise terminals, ship repair facilities, and skill centres, we are unlocking the full potential of this mighty river,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Sonowal said.<\/p>\n Cruise Bharat Mission and Tourism Push<\/strong><\/p>\n The Cruise Bharat Mission, launched in 2024, aims to develop 100 river cruise terminals, 10 sea cruise terminals, and five marinas, while doubling passenger numbers by 2029. Today, 25 river cruise vessels are operational on national waterways, including 14 on the Brahmaputra alone.<\/p>\n Sarbananda Sonowal noted that Forbes recently ranked the Ganga river cruise among the world\u2019s top 10, adding that\u00a0\u201cAssam is poised to become the next global river cruise destination.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n India Maritime Week \u2013 a \u20b91 Trillion Opportunity<\/strong><\/p>\n The Minister said India Maritime Week 2025 will unveil investment opportunities worth nearly \u20b91 trillion, ranging from shipbuilding clusters and port-led connectivity to coastal community development and eco-friendly logistics.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the decade of maritime resurgence for India,\u201d Sonowal said. \u201cBy 2047, our goal is to handle 10,000 MMT of EXIM cargo and 500 MMT through inland waterways. India will be among the world\u2019s top five shipbuilding nations and command a 20% share in global ship recycling. This is our Amrit Kaal vision for maritime India.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The Water Voyage Northeast conference, organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Indian Ports Association (IPA), brought together over 240 stakeholders including cruise operators, cargo vessel owners, and traders.<\/p>\n Concluding his address, Sonowal called upon stakeholders to actively participate in the Mumbai event,\u00a0\u201cIndia Maritime Week 2025 is not just an event, it is a movement. It is about shaping a maritime India that is globally competitive, digitally empowered, environmentally sustainable, and socially inclusive. I invite the world to join us in this voyage of confidence, commerce, and connectivity.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4400,"template":"","class_list":["post-922","all_news","type-all_news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/all_news\/922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/all_news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/all_news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.dzinepixel.com\/Paradipport_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}