**Summary: Cruise Bharat Mission - Progress and Impact**
This document summarizes the progress and impact of the 'Cruise Bharat Mission' as of July 25, 2025, in response to questions raised in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 940.
**Key Achievements:**
* **Increased Passenger Traffic:** Fiscal Year 2024-25 saw 272 cruise calls and 4.92 lakh passengers, an increase from 253 cruise calls and 4.7 lakh passengers in FY 2023-24.
* **Regulatory Reforms:** Several regulatory reforms have been introduced, including:
* Cruise QR Code clearance system for passengers by Immigration.
* Digitized customs procedures for ships by customs CBIC advisory 26/2024, dated 08.11.2024.
* Change of advance remittance for lease payment for ships by RBI RBI Circular No. RBI/2025-26/55 A.P. DIR Series Circular No. 07 dated 13 June 2025.
* **Port Operationalization:** Puducherry Port has been operationalized for cruise services, with the inaugural call made by Empress of Cordelia Cruises on July 4, 2025.
**Integrated National Plan:**
* The 'Cruise Bharat Mission' is integrating sea, river, and island cruise circuits under an integrated national plan.
**Benefitted States/Union Territories:**
* Cruise ports are located in Mumbai (Maharashtra), Murmugao (Goa), Kochi (Kerala), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), New Mangalore (Karnataka), and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). Cruise calls are also made at Puducherry (Union Territory), Lakshadweep (Union Territory), and Sri Vijayapuram (Andaman and Nicobar Islands).
* 29 National Waterways (NWs) are operational across 11 states, with 3 NWs exclusively dedicated to cruise movement as of FY 2024-25.
**Long-Term Impact Assessment:**
* The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the 'Cruise Bharat Mission' aim to generate approximately 0.4 million jobs.
**North Eastern States:**
* No special framework is under preparation for urban water transport systems in the North Eastern States. However, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) provides fairway, aids to navigation, terminals for berthing of vessels, and pilotage assistance for smooth plying of vessels on NW2 in the North Eastern Region (NER).
**Contact:**
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
Key Entities Referenced
Cruise Bharat Mission: A government initiative focused on promoting passenger traffic by cruise and integrating sea, river, and island cruise circuits.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways: The Indian government ministry responsible for ports, shipping, and waterways.
Sarbananda Sonowal: The Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
Mumbai Maharashtra: A city in Maharashtra, India, with cruise port facilities.
Murmugao Goa: A city in Goa, India, with cruise port facilities.
Kochi Kerela: A city in Kerala, India, with cruise port facilities.
Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI): An authority providing fairway, aids to navigation, terminals for berthing of vessels and pilotage assistance.
National Waterway 2 (NW2): A waterway in North Eastern Region where IWAI provides fairway, aids to navigation, terminals for berthing of vessels and pilotage assistance
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 940
ANSWERED ON 25.07.2025
CRUISE BHARAT MISSION
940. SHRI ALOK SHARMA:
SMT. SHOBHANABEN MAHENDRASINH BARAIYA:
SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:
SMT. POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM:
SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT:
SHRI PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA:
SHRI JASHUBHAI BHILUBHAI RATHVA:
SHRI SHASHANK MANI:
SHRI NABA CHARAN MAJHI:
SHRI SHANKAR LALWANI:
SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:
Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state:
प(cid:517)न, पोत प(cid:303)रवहन और जलमाग(cid:330) मं(cid:361)ी
(a) the recent achievement that demonstrate the effectiveness of 'Cruise Bharat
Mission' in promoting passenger traffic by cruise;
(b) the strategies being adopted to intergrate sea, river and island cruise circuits
under an integrated national plan;
(c) the details of the States benefitted from the said Mission;
(d) the manner in which the Government proposes to assess the long-term impact
of the said Mission on employment generation and economic development of coastal
region; and
(e) whether any special framework is being prepared for the North Eastern States
including Assam with regard to urban water transport system and if so, the details
thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)(a) & (b) In FY 2024 – 25, there were 272 cruise calls and 4.92 lakh passengers as
compared to increase from 253 cruise calls and 4.7 lakh passengers in FY – 2023-24.
Several regulatory reforms have been introduced; such as introduction of Cruise QR
Code clearance system for passengers by Immigration, digitized customs procedures
for ships by customs (CBIC advisory 26/2024, dated 08.11.2024) and change of
advance remittance for lease payment for ships by RBI {RBI Circular No. RBI/2025-
26/55 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 07 dated 13 June 2025}. Puducherry Port has
been recently operationalized for cruise services, with Empress of Cordelia Cruises
making its inaugural call on 04 July 2025.
(c) Cruise ports are located at Mumbai (Maharashtra), Murmugao (Goa), Kochi
(Kerela), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), New Mangalore (Karnataka), and Visakhapatnam
(Andhra Pradesh), with cruise calls also at Puducherry(Union Territory), Lakshadweep
(Union Territory), and Sri Vijayapuram (Andaman and Nicobar Islands). Further, as of
FY 2024–25, 29 National Waterways (NWs) are operational across 11 states,
including 3 NWs exclusively dedicated to cruise movement.
(d) As per the Key Performance Indicators of the Cruise Bharat Mission, the
initiative aims to generate approximately 0.4 million jobs.
(e) No special framework is under preparation for urban water transport system.
However, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) provides fairway, aids to
navigation, terminals for berthing of vessels, pilotage assistance for smooth plying of
vessels on NW2 in North Eastern Region (NER).
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