River Cruise Voyages on India's National Waterways rise by 19.4% in 2024–25; And 51 New Cruise Circuits planned across 14 states and 3 Union Territories by 2027, under the Cruise Bharat Mission.
The number of river cruise voyages, on the National Waterways in India, has increased from 371 in 2023-24 to 443 in 2024-25. This is a notable growth of 19.4% in the number of river cruise voyages on the National Waterways of India.
Also, 51 new cruise circuits are planned across 14 States and 3 Union Territories in India by the next two years, in 2027, under the Cruise Bharat Mission. This information was given in the report by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Govt. of India, on 21st July 2025.
As per the report, Viking Cruises has announced its entry into India's river cruise market with Viking Brahmaputra, which is an 80-guest vessel that is scheduled to begin its operations in late 2027. Viking Brahmaputra, is to be indigenously developed by Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kolkata, and this river cruise will operate on the National Waterway 2.
As per the report, from just 5 vessels on 3 waterways in 2013–14, river cruises have increased to 25 vessels across 13 national waterways in 2024–25, which is a significant growth in India's river cruise tourism sector in the last 11 years.
The world's longest river cruise MV Ganga Vilas that was flagged off by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in January 2023, travels from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in India via Dhaka in Bangladesh, covering 3,200 kilometres through 27 river systems in 5 Indian states and Bangladesh. The itinerary of this cruise includes World Heritage Sites, National Parks, and River Ghats along the waterway.
This historic voyage of MV Ganga Vilas is included in the Limca Book of Records. Other popular cruise circuits in India are the Sundarbans in West Bengal, Brahmaputra in Assam, and Alappuzha in Kerala.
The report attributes this growth to the proactive efforts of IWAI under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in enhancing the navigational safety and infrastructure on the National Waterways of India.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) plans to develop 51 new river cruise circuits on 47 national waterways across 14 states and three union territories by the next two years, that is, by 2027.
The Indian government's Cruise Bharat Mission aims to increase river cruise passengers from 0.5 million to 1.5 million. This mission aims to upgrade cruise terminals, ports, and related infrastructure, promote eco-friendly tourism practices using green vessels, and create a lot of employment opportunities in the cruise industry, in the next two years.
Recently, the IWAI signed agreements with many state governments in India to promote cruise tourism on National Waterways, including partnerships with the Governments of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh for cruise tourism on River Narmada, with the Delhi Government for operating ferries and cruises on River Yamuna, and with the Government of Jammu and Kashmir for sustainable tourism on the rivers Jhelum, Ravi, and Chenab.
The IWAI is also developing dedicated cruise terminals on Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, with three cruise terminals planned in Varanasi, Guwahati, Kolkata, and Patna. In the Northeast region of India, it aims to develop four more cruise terminals by 2027, which are at Silghat, Biswanath Ghat, Neamati, and Guijan.
Despite having tremendous potential, sea and river cruises are a largely untapped travel and tourism aspect in India. The Cruise Bharat Mission aims to boost cruise tourism in India over the next 5 years and significantly increase sea and river cruise tourism by 2029. It aims to establish 10 sea cruise terminals, 100 river cruise terminals, and five marinas across India.
- Cruise Tourism on National Waterways Gains Momentum with Infrastructure Boost - Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on PIB. Posted On: 21 JUL 2025 5:53PM by PIB Delhi.