New Delhi: The inaugural session of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC), chaired by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal in Kolkata on Monday, announced a significant investment of Rs 45,000 crore for the development of river cruise tourism in India. Out of this allocation, an estimated Rs 35,000 crore is designated for cruise vessels, and Rs 10,000 crore will be invested in the development of cruise terminal infrastructure by 2047.
At the same event, Sonowal launched the ‘Harit Nauka’ guidelines and the ‘River Cruise Tourism Roadmap, 2047.’ The guidelines aim at facilitating a green transition for inland vessels, fostering a sustainable and eco-friendly future for the country’s inland waterways.
The roadmap outlined plans to increase local cruise tourism traffic on National Waterways without overnight stays from 2 lakh to 15 lakh by 2047. Sonowal emphasized the need to tap into the immense growth potential, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a leader in the global Blue Economy.
The meeting resulted in the identification of 30+ additional potential routes for various cruise types, focusing on long & short, recreational, and heritage segments to cater to diverse tourist categories. A comprehensive action plan and roadmap were developed, covering route development, marketing strategy, infrastructure development, and navigation to effectively proceed with developing additional river cruises.
In an effort to boost infrastructure in inland waterways, the roadmap aims to create capacity in an additional 26 waterways suitable for river cruise tourism. The number of cruise circuits with night stays is set to increase from 17 to 80, and the number of river cruise terminals will be expanded to 185 from the current 15 terminals. The goal is to increase cruise tourism traffic with night stays from 5,000 to 1.20 lakh by 2047.
Sonowal highlighted significant progress in waterway infrastructure, including the establishment of Multimodal Terminals at Varanasi, Sahibganj, and Haldia, enhancing regional connectivity. The ongoing construction of over 60 community jetties is aimed at promoting efficiency, connectivity, and local development in waterway infrastructure.
As part of the strategy to boost inland waterways for cargo trade, an investment of Rs 15,200 crore was proposed at the Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) in Mumbai in October 2023, with an anticipated growth rate exceeding 400%, increasing the volume up to 500 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) by 2047.
