Bhubaneswar: Puri is set to get an international cruise terminal with an estimated investment of Rs 1,500 crore, as part of the Centre’s efforts to boost cruise tourism and strengthen maritime infrastructure in the country, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said on Tuesday.
The project will be undertaken by the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) in partnership with the Odisha government, according to an official statement issued by the Ministry.
Unveiling the development plan at a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee in Puri, Sonowal said the Centre aims to attract one million sea cruise passengers by 2029 under the Cruise Bharat Mission.
He said the government is also working to increase the share of coastal and inland waterway shipping in India’s freight movement from six per cent to 12 per cent by 2047 through the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme.
The Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme and the Cruise Bharat Mission are expected to generate more than 5.6 lakh jobs and help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 16 million tonnes, the minister said.
“India’s maritime sector has undergone massive transformations in the last 12 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Sonowal said.
India, with a coastline of more than 11,000 km, has a natural advantage in transporting freight over long distances through cleaner modes, he said.
Coastal cargo handled at Indian ports has increased from 74 million metric tonnes to 177 million metric tonnes over the past 12 years, registering a growth of around 140 per cent, the minister added.
The Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme, announced in the Union Budget 2026-27, will provide incentives to cargo owners, coastal vessel operators and multimodal transport operators moving goods through multiple modes of transport, including ships, railways and roads, he said.
Highlighting the growth of the cruise tourism sector, Sonowal said India recorded 4,62,661 ocean cruise passengers and 212 vessel calls in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
This represents a 5.5-fold increase in passenger traffic and a 2.1-fold rise in vessel calls since 2013-14, he said.
Launched in September 2024, the Cruise Bharat Mission aims to attract one million sea cruise passengers and generate four lakh jobs by March 2029.
Twenty river cruise circuits across 16 National Waterways are already operational, while another 51 have been identified for phased development. As many as 143 river cruise terminals and landing points are also operational, the minister said.
Sonowal further highlighted the development of National Waterway No. 5 in Odisha, which is estimated to cost more than Rs 13,000 crore.
The waterway is envisaged to connect the state’s industrial and mining centres, including Talcher and Kalinganagar, with ports along the east coast, improving cargo transportation and strengthening Odisha’s maritime connectivity.
