Lok Sabha Question No. 940 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-25
Subject: Cruise Bharat Mission
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: 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, Shri Alok Sharma

## 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: पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

- (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/202526/55 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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