NEW DELHI, November 5: The government aims to double the share of coastal and inland waterway shipping in India’s freight movement from 6% to 12% by 2047, and to attract one million sea cruise passengers by 2029, Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said at a meeting of his ministry’s Consultative Committee in Puri, Odisha, on Tuesday. He also announced that Paradip Port Authority and the Odisha government will develop a Puri International Cruise Terminal at a likely cost of ₹1,500 crore.
Key highlights
- Freight target: coastal and waterway share of freight to rise from 6% to 12% by 2047.
- Cruise target: one million sea cruise passengers and 400,000 jobs by March 2029 under the Cruise Bharat Mission.
- Puri terminal: to be developed by Paradip Port Authority with the Odisha government, at about ₹1,500 crore.
- Coastal cargo growth: 74 million tonnes to 177 million tonnes over the past 12 years, about 140%, the minister said.
- Expected gains: more than 560,000 jobs and 16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions saved from the two schemes together.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Coastal and waterway share of freight | 6% now; target 12% by 2047 |
| Coastal cargo at Indian ports | 74 million tonnes → 177 million tonnes in 12 years |
| Ocean cruise passengers, 2025-26 | 462,661 (212 vessel calls) |
| Cruise Bharat Mission target | 1 million sea cruise passengers by March 2029 |
| River cruise circuits | 20 operating on 16 national waterways; 51 more identified |
| River cruise terminals and landing points | 143 operational |
| National Waterway 5 (Odisha) | Estimated cost of more than ₹13,000 crore |
The two schemes
The Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme, announced in the 2026-27 Budget, will offer incentives to cargo owners, coastal vessel operators and multimodal transport operators. The Cruise Bharat Mission was launched in September 2024. The ministry said ocean cruise passenger traffic in 2025-26 was 5.5 times its 2013-14 level, and vessel calls 2.1 times. Sonowal also highlighted National Waterway 5 in Odisha, meant to link the industrial and mining centres of Talcher and Kalinganagar with east coast ports.
Our calculation
- Doubling the share from 6% to 12% over roughly 21 years would require coastal and waterway freight to grow much faster than India’s total freight over that period.
- Reaching one million sea cruise passengers by 2029 would mean more than doubling the 2025-26 figure of 462,661.
What it means
India has more than 11,000 kilometres of coastline, and moving bulk cargo by sea or river is cheaper and cleaner per tonne than by road. The targets are long-term, and their success will depend on how quickly the incentive scheme starts, how ports handle coastal cargo, and whether shippers find sea and river routes reliable. For Odisha, a cruise terminal at Puri could add a new tourism draw alongside the Jagannath Temple.
What to watch
- Notification of the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme’s rules and incentive rates.
- Project approval and timeline for the Puri International Cruise Terminal.
A Cape-size vessel at the Kalinga International Coal Terminal of Paradip Port, Odisha. Image: Paradip Port Authority, GODL-India, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo source · Licence
Sources
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