Two cruise ships are opening a new chapter for India's cruise tourism industry. Cordelia Cruises has commenced two-ship operations from separate Indian homeports, with Cordelia Sky sailing from Mumbai and Cordelia Empress beginning its season from Kochi. The expansion marks the first time the cruise line has operated two ships simultaneously from two Indian homeports, increasing its capacity and broadening its domestic and international itinerary network. On 23 October 2026, Mumbai port handled both vessels, with nearly 6,000 guests embarking and disembarking across the ships. While Cordelia Sky departed on its inaugural guest sailing, Cordelia Empress began its onward journey towards Kochi, its new homeport.

The expansion reflects a wider change in India's tourism landscape. Cruise holidays are gradually moving beyond occasional visits by international ships towards a more developed market featuring departures from Indian ports, domestic coastal journeys, island experiences and longer international itineraries. Mumbai and Kochi are emerging as important departure points, offering travellers options that include Goa, Lakshadweep, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, depending on the sailing schedule. Cordelia's current programme includes short weekend cruises as well as longer journeys, making the experience accessible to travellers looking for different holiday durations.

For Indian travellers, a cruise offers a holiday experience in which the journey becomes as important as the destination. Accommodation, onboard dining and entertainment can be combined with coastal views and visits to different ports, allowing guests to explore multiple destinations without repeatedly changing hotels. Depending on the fare and package, meals and onboard activities may be included, although beverages, shore excursions and other services can cost extra.

Cruises can also suit different travel occasions, from family holidays and reunions to anniversaries, honeymoons and trips with friends. Short sailings offer first-time cruisers a way to experience life onboard without committing to a longer holiday, while extended itineraries allow travellers to spend more time exploring islands and international destinations.

Beyond the Arabian Sea: India's Expanding Cruise Experiences

India's cruise market is not limited to ocean voyages. River cruises and inland-waterway experiences are also gaining importance, offering different ways to explore the country's heritage, landscapes and local communities.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways reported that, as of July 2026, 17 river-cruise circuits were operational across 13 National Waterways in nine states. The number of waterways designated for river cruises increased from three in 2013–14 to 13 in 2025–26, highlighting the growing attention being given to inland-waterway tourism.

On the Ganga, river journeys can connect destinations associated with India's spiritual and cultural heritage, including Varanasi, Patna and Kolkata. Longer itineraries explore wider stretches of the river system. On the Brahmaputra in Assam, cruises offer opportunities to experience river landscapes, regional culture and wildlife-rich areas. Kerala's backwaters, meanwhile, provide a different style of water-based holiday through houseboats and regional cruises.

The sector is also attracting international interest. Viking has announced plans to begin Brahmaputra river voyages with the Viking Brahmaputra in late 2027, followed by a second vessel, Viking Ganges, scheduled to debut in 2028. Its planned itinerary will include a river voyage between Guwahati and Nimati Ghat, alongside a guided land programme. These developments reflect the potential of India's rivers as destinations for specialised and experience-led travel.

How the Government Is Supporting Cruise Tourism

Infrastructure and passenger services will play an important role in determining how quickly the sector grows. The government launched the Cruise Bharat Mission on 30 September 2024, with an aim to double cruise passenger traffic by 2029. The initiative covers ocean and harbour cruises, river and island cruises, and the development of supporting infrastructure and passenger facilities.

Government figures show that India recorded 272 cruise calls and approximately 4.92 lakh passengers in FY 2024–25, compared with 253 cruise calls and 4.7 lakh passengers in FY 2023–24. Cruise terminals operate at major ports including Mumbai, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Kochi, Visakhapatnam and Chennai, while other destinations are also receiving cruise calls.

The wider development effort includes improving cruise terminals, simplifying immigration and customs procedures, encouraging new routes and supporting investment in cruise infrastructure. These measures are intended to make passenger processing more convenient while helping ports and operators handle a growing number of voyages.

As infrastructure improves and more itineraries become available, cruise holidays could also create opportunities for hotels, restaurants, tour operators, local transport providers and destination businesses. The benefits can extend beyond the ship, bringing visitors to ports and communities along coastal and river routes.

Making Cruise Holidays More Affordable

For travellers planning their first cruise, a little flexibility can help manage costs. Starting with a two- or three-night sailing is one way to experience the format without committing to a longer itinerary. Interior cabins can also be more economical than ocean-view or balcony accommodation for guests who expect to spend much of their time exploring the ship or visiting destinations.

Travelling with family or friends may help reduce the per-person accommodation cost when suitable shared cabins and offers are available. However, travellers should compare the full package rather than the headline fare alone, checking what is included and whether additional charges apply to drinks, excursions, speciality dining and other services.

Seasonality is another important consideration. October to March is generally a useful period to explore many Indian coastal and river cruise options, although conditions vary by route. The southwest monsoon can affect some coastal sailings, making it important to check the operator's schedule before booking. Shoulder-season dates may offer better value than peak holiday periods, but fares and availability vary by sailing.

For travellers who want to explore India's waterways, the growing choice of sea and river cruises offers a wider range of holiday styles, from short breaks to longer journeys built around nature, culture and heritage.

With Cordelia Cruises operating from Mumbai and Kochi, river-cruise circuits expanding and new international operators preparing to enter the market, India's cruise sector is developing beyond a niche holiday category. The next stage will depend on whether operators can maintain attractive itineraries and reliable service while infrastructure keeps pace with demand.

For travellers, the appeal is simple: one journey can combine accommodation, dining, entertainment and the experience of discovering several destinations along the way. As India's cruise network develops, it is becoming another option for those looking to explore the country's coasts, islands and rivers from a different perspective.

Plant-based meat is making a scientific case for itself, but is it nutritionally better than conventional meat, or are consumers being persuaded by a headline that tells only half the story?

Recent research suggests that some plant-based meat alternatives can match conventional meat in protein digestibility under laboratory conditions. However, other studies indicate that animal meat retains advantages in amino-acid digestibility and overall protein quality. The emerging evidence points to a more complicated picture than either side of the debate suggests.

A study published in Food Chemistry in October 2026 examined nine commercial plant-based meat alternatives and found in-vitro protein digestibility ranging from 81% to 96%, comparable to the 86%–90% range reported for meat in the study. Protein isolates and concentrates recorded even higher digestibility levels. Yet the researchers also found lower iron dialysability in the tested plant-based products than in some comparison foods, highlighting the nutritional trade-offs that protein-focused claims can overlook.

Protein content is not the whole story

The distinction matters because protein quality depends on more than the quantity printed on a nutrition label. The body needs essential amino acids in appropriate proportions, and these must be released and absorbed during digestion. A product containing substantial protein may still differ in how effectively it delivers these amino acids.

Plant-based meat manufacturers are working to overcome these limitations through protein concentration, ingredient blending and processing techniques such as extrusion. Combining different plant proteins can help address limiting amino acids, while processing may alter protein structures and improve access for digestive enzymes.

However, these advantages are formulation-specific. A study published in Food Chemistry in August 2026 found that conventional chicken outperformed the plant-based chicken analogues examined in amino-acid digestibility and overall protein quality. The results demonstrate why findings from one product category cannot automatically be applied to another.

When marketing gets ahead of nutrition

The bigger concern is how such findings reach consumers. Terms such as high-protein, plant-powered and nutritionally superior can suggest an overall health advantage when the underlying evidence may concern only one measurement.

Sodium, saturated fat, fibre, iron and vitamin B12 also deserve consideration. Plant-based alternatives vary considerably in their ingredients and nutritional composition, meaning that replacing meat with a manufactured substitute does not automatically improve the quality of a diet.

India adds another dimension to this debate. Pulses, chickpeas, lentils and soybeans already provide diverse plant-protein options. For consumers, the relevant comparison is not always between a plant-based burger and a beef patty; it may also involve affordable, familiar foods that deliver protein without requiring a meat-like substitute.

The verdict goes beyond the label

Plant-based meat technology is advancing, and evidence of comparable protein digestibility deserves attention. But laboratory measurements are not the same as demonstrated improvements in human health, and digestibility alone cannot establish nutritional superiority.

For consumers, restaurants and food manufacturers, the better question is not whether plant-based meat has defeated traditional meat. It is which products deliver a suitable balance of protein quality, essential nutrients, affordability and overall dietary value.

The future of alternative protein may depend less on winning a headline comparison and more on proving what each product genuinely offers.

Diwali is all about sharing sweets and spreading joy, and ITC Maurya has some tasty ways to do just that. This season, the hotel brings a range of gourmet gifting options with handcrafted mithai, artisanal treats, rich chocolates and a few well-picked festive extras. Prices start from INR 3,299.

You will find signature Indian sweets and delicately flavoured nankhatai. There are also brownies, tea cakes and a few gourmet pantry items. Each set is a lovely way to mark the occasion and share the warmth of the season.

Here is a look at all five collections.

1. The Legacy Collection

This is the most elaborate pick of the lot. It brings together Ritvah’s Signature Mithai Box of 24, a Nankhatai Box of 15, festive jar treats and nut and seed clusters. The flavours are interesting too, like Hazelnut Besan Laddoo, Kaju Cranberry Sheer and Amaranth Lavender and Orange Nankhatai.

Price: INR 23,999

2. The Majestic Collection

This one mixes Indian mithai with baked treats. You get signature sweets, three varieties of fudge brownies and a festive tea cake. Fabelle truffles, Sunbean Cold Brew, a lotus-shaped glass tealight set and Kerala Hot Sauce round it off with a mix of gourmet treats and thoughtful extras.

Price: INR 14,999

3. The Grandeur Collection

The Grandeur Collection pairs a sweets box with assorted nankhatai, three brownie varieties and an Almond, Chocolate and Orange Bishopnut Cake. Fabelle truffles, artisanal pasta, Kerala Hot Sauce and a glass diya set complete this well-rounded box.

Price: INR 10,999

4. The Grand Curation

Here, signature mithai comes with an Almond, Chocolate and Orange Bishopnut Cake, a Fabelle Luxury Chocolate Bar Tiramisu and two jars of nut and seed clusters. A Cobalt Blue Diamond-Cut Tea Light Votive adds a decorative touch.

Price: INR 8,199

5. The Festive Reserve Collection

Simple and elegant, this one has a jar of Dark Chocolate Coated Almond Dragees and Dark Chocolate Muesli. A soy wax candle completes the set, making it an easy gifting choice for the season.

Price: INR 3,299

Quick Details

What: ITC Maurya Diwali Gifting Collections

Starting Price: INR 3,299

For orders, please call: 7669990790 / 7669990791