At the first edition of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) held in Kolkata, a groundbreaking initiative was launched to transform the landscape of river cruise tourism in India. The government has committed an impressive INR 45,000 crore towards the development of this burgeoning sector. This investment is expected to dramatically enhance the capacity and viability of the country's inland waterways, with a target of 26 additional waterways being made suitable for river cruise tourism by 2047.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, unveiled the ambitious ‘Harit Nauka’ guidelines and ‘River Cruise Tourism Roadmap, 2047’, setting the stage for a sustainable and eco-friendly transformation of India's inland vessels. This initiative is a significant step in the government's ongoing commitment to harness the economic growth and commerce potential of inland waterways.

The IWDC, which aims to revitalise and capitalise on India's rich and dynamic waterways, discussed a roadmap to expand the number of cruise circuits with night stays from 17 to 80 by 2047. In a bid to boost infrastructure in the inland waterways, the number of river cruise terminals will see a staggering increase from 15 to 185, reflecting a growth of 1233 per cent. This enhancement will boost cruise tourism traffic with night stays from 5,000 to 1.20 lakh and local cruise tourism traffic on National Waterways without night stay from 2 lakh to 15 lakh by 2047.

The minister further emphasised the strategic plan for developing 30+ additional potential routes for different cruise types to attract a wide range of tourists. The roadmap includes an elaborate action plan encompassing route development, marketing strategies, infrastructure development, and navigation to effectively develop these additional river cruises.

This investment marks a historic moment in India's journey towards sustainable development and economic growth, leveraging the untapped potential of its waterways. The commitment of INR 35,000 crore for cruise vessels and another INR 10,000 crore for the development of cruise terminal infrastructure symbolises a bold step towards realising the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat by the end of Amrit Kaal in 2047.