circuits, the cruise tourism traffic with night stays to be move up from 5,000 to 1.20 lakh by 2047. Similarly, the local cruise tourism traffic on National Waterways without night stay to be increased from 2 lakh to 15 lakh by 2047.

The meet was also attended by Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, and Tourism, Shri Shripad Naik and Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Shantanu Thakur. The IWDC was also attended by ministers from state governments, senior government officials and other key stakeholders. The IWDC was organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for inland waterways in India, under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India. The one-day meet was held on board vessel MV Ganges Queen at the Kolkata Dock Complex.

Adding further, Shri Sonowal said, “Inland waterways are the arteries of progress, and the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) marks a pivotal stride in our commitment to harness their potential. Under the leadership of PM Modi and with collaborative efforts and strategic initiatives, we aim to unlock the full spectrum of opportunities, fostering sustainable development and growth in the inland water transport sector. With the launch of ‘Harit Nauka – Guidelines for Green Transition of Inland Vessels,’ MoPSW embarks on a journey towards a sustainable and eco-friendly future for our inland waterways. The roadmap had identified 30+ additional potential routes for different cruise types, including long & short, recreational and heritage segments to attract all tourist categories. An action plan and roadmap, including route development, marketing strategy, infrastructure development and navigation to effectively proceed with developing such additional river cruises is also ready.”