The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarabanand Sonowal, launched the Cruise Bharat Mission on 30 September 2024 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The Minister launched the mission onboard the cruise ship Empress. The initiative aims to achieve India’s vision of becoming a global hub for cruise tourism and promote the country as the leading global cruise destination.
The Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is the nodal ministry for implementing the Cruise Bharat Mission. The mission will be implemented with the support of all regulatory agencies, such as Customs, Immigration, CISF, State Tourism Departments, State Maritime Agencies, District Administrations, and local police.
The ministry will establish a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for cruise development under the Indian Ports Association. The Indian Port Association is an association of major ports in India.
The Cruise Bharat Mission will be implemented from 1 October 2024 up to 31 March 2029 in three phases.
Phase -1 (1 October 2024-30 September 2025)
The main focus will be on planning and forming cruise alliances with neighbouring countries. The existing cruise terminals and marinas will be modernized.
Phase II (1 October 2025-31 March 2027)
Focus will be on developing new cruise terminals, marinas, and destinations.
Phase III (1 April 2027- 31 March 2029)
The focus will be on integrating all cruise circuits across the Indian Subcontinent, continuing the development of cruise terminals, marinas, and destinations.
The mission has also set a performance target, which will be achieved during the mission period.
Under the Cruise Bharat Mission, there are three cruise segments - Ocean and Harbour, River and inland and Islands segments.