Overview

• The Inland Waterways Authority of India will develop 51 new circuits across 47 waterways in 14 states and three Union Territories by 2027.
• MoUs with Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir will expand cruise operations on the Narmada, Yamuna, Jhelum, Ravi and Chenab rivers.
• The IWAI plans dedicated cruise terminals in Varanasi, Guwahati, Kolkata and Patna plus four sites in the Northeast at Silghat, Biswanath Ghat, Neamati and Guijan by 2027.
• The mission aims to boost annual river cruise passengers from 0.5 million to 1.5 million through port upgrades and eco-friendly vessels.
• Viking Cruises will debut its indigenously built 80-guest Viking Brahmaputra on National Waterway-2 in late 2027, signaling growing foreign investment.