Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday said the Centre was working to double the combined share of coastal shipping and inland waterways in India's freight movement from the existing 6 per cent to 12 per cent by 2047, while targeting 10 lakh sea cruise passengers by 2029.
Addressing a meeting of the ministry's Consultative Committee in Puri, Odisha, Sonowal outlined plans to strengthen coastal cargo transportation, expand cruise tourism and develop maritime infrastructure through the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme and Cruise Bharat Mission.
The minister also announced that the Paradip Port Authority, in partnership with the Odisha government, would develop the Puri International Cruise Terminal at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore.
Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur and eight Members of Parliament attended the meeting, which focused on strengthening coastal and cruise shipping.
๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ผ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฌ%
Highlighting the growth of India's maritime sector, Sonowal said coastal cargo handled at Indian ports had increased from 74 million metric tonnes to 177 million metric tonnes over the past 12 years, registering growth of approximately 140 per cent.
He said India's coastline, extending over 11,000 kilometres, offered considerable potential for transporting goods more efficiently while reducing dependence on road and rail networks.
"In the last 12 years under PM Narendra Modi, India's maritime sector has undergone massive transformations," Sonowal said.
He added that the government's maritime initiatives were aimed at reducing logistics costs, expanding trade opportunities, generating employment and promoting environmentally sustainable transportation.
"Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dynamic leadership, our coastline and our rivers are being turned into engines of growth. The Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme and the Cruise Bharat Mission will move more cargo by sea and bring more visitors to our shores, creating jobs and protecting the environment," he said.
๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐
The Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme, announced in the Union Budget for 2026-27, is intended to encourage cargo owners and transport operators to shift freight movement from roads and railways to coastal shipping and inland waterways.
Under the proposed scheme, financial incentives would be extended to cargo owners, coastal vessel operators and multimodal transport operators using combinations of shipping, rail and road transportation.
The initiative seeks to improve the competitiveness of water-based transportation and strengthen connectivity between ports, industrial centres and inland logistics networks.
The government expects the scheme to encourage greater private participation in coastal shipping and support investment in vessels, cargo terminals and associated infrastructure.
๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐น๐ฎ๐ธ๐ต ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
Sonowal said India's cruise tourism industry had witnessed substantial growth, with the country recording 4,62,661 ocean cruise passengers and 212 vessel calls during the 2025-26 financial year.
According to the minister, ocean cruise passenger traffic had increased 5.5 times since 2013-14, while vessel calls had risen 2.1 times during the same period.
The Cruise Bharat Mission, launched in September 2024, aims to attract 10 lakh sea cruise passengers and generate four lakh jobs by March 2029.
The minister said 20 river cruise circuits were already operational across 16 National Waterways, while another 51 circuits had been identified for development in phases.
He added that 143 river cruise terminals and landing points were operational across the country, providing infrastructure for the expansion of river-based tourism.
Together, the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme and Cruise Bharat Mission are expected to generate more than 5.6 lakh jobs and help avoid 16 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, according to government projections.
๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ฏ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ-๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ข๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฎ
Sonowal also highlighted the proposed development of National Waterway-5 in Odisha, an infrastructure initiative estimated to cost more than Rs 13,000 crore.
The project is intended to connect the state's industrial and mineral-rich regions, including Talcher and Kalinganagar, with ports along the eastern coast.
The waterway is expected to facilitate the movement of bulk cargo, particularly minerals and industrial commodities, while providing an alternative to conventional land-based transportation.
The minister said improved connectivity between industrial centres and ports would strengthen Odisha's logistics infrastructure and contribute to the broader development of India's maritime economy.
๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐
During the Consultative Committee meeting, participating Members of Parliament discussed measures to strengthen maritime infrastructure and offered suggestions concerning coastal shipping, cruise tourism and port connectivity.
Sonowal thanked the MPs for their observations and said their recommendations would contribute to the government's efforts to develop a competitive and sustainable maritime ecosystem.
"I extend my deep gratitude to the MPs for their valuable insights and suggestions, which will help shape this journey," he said.
The minister maintained that expanding coastal and inland waterway transportation would remain a major component of India's long-term infrastructure strategy, with the government seeking to integrate ports, shipping networks and inland logistics facilities under its Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.