By Faridat Salifu
India and ASEAN member states are collaborating to develop new cruise tourism routes in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean.
The announcement was made during the first-ever ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue held aboard the MV Empress at Chennai Port.
India’s Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, launched the dialogue and addressed more than 30 representatives from ASEAN countries.
All eleven ASEAN member states, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor Leste, attended the meeting hosted by India.
The dialogue is aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation, enhancing cruise connectivity, and promoting sustainable tourism across the Indo-Pacific region.
Minister Sonowal said the Indian government will work with ASEAN to create an ASEAN-India Cruise Tourism Corridor linking commercial and cultural ports across the region.
He added that India plans to professionalise 5,000 km of navigable inland waterways to support cruise traffic with Southeast Asia.
The Minister also highlighted progress made under the government’s Sagarmala initiative, which now targets one million cruise passengers by 2029.
Cruise ship calls at Indian ports have reportedly increased from 102 in 2013–14 to 14,272 in 2024–25.
Sonowal attributed this growth to a combination of new policies, regulatory reforms, taxation adjustments, and improved maritime infrastructure.
He emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in boosting regional connectivity and streamlining customs and immigration procedures across Indian ports.
The discussion included plans for regulatory alignment, port upgrades, and new cruise routes that connect ASEAN and Indian destinations.
The dialogue is part of India’s broader maritime strategy and its Act East Policy to deepen regional integration through sustainable blue economy initiatives.
