1. Historical Milestone: Gujarat has officially become the first state in India to formally align with the Cruise Bharat Mission. This national initiative, launched on September 30, 2024, by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, aims to transform India into a global hub for cruise tourism.
- Gujarat’s Advantage: The state leverages its 2,340-km coastline (India’s longest) and navigable rivers like the Sabarmati and Narmada.
- Policy Leadership: The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) is drafting India’s first state-specific Cruise Shipping Policy to support this alignment.
2. Strategic Coastal Clusters To ensure efficient tourism, Gujarat has divided its western coast into three distinct clusters. Each cluster is designed so that major religious, natural, and cultural sites are within a 100-km radius of the port.
| Cluster Name | Key Destinations Covered | Focus Area |
| Cluster 1 | Padala Island – Rann of Kutch | Eco-tourism & Heritage |
| Cluster 2 | Porbandar – Veraval – Diu | History & Beaches |
| Cluster 3 | Dwarka – Okha – Jamnagar | Religious & Marine Life |
Note: The existing Ghogha-Hazira Ro-Pax ferry service will also be integrated into this larger cruise ecosystem.
3. Cruise Bharat Mission Targets (2029) The mission follows a phased roadmap to scale India’s maritime economy:
- Tenfold Growth: Aiming to increase cruise passenger traffic from ~4.7 lakh (2024) to 50 lakh by 2029.
- Infrastructure: Developing 10 international sea cruise terminals and 100 river cruise terminals across India.
- Employment: Projected to create over 4 lakh jobs in the maritime and hospitality sectors by 2029.
- Phased Rollout: Phase 1 (up to Sept 2025) focuses on master planning; Phase 2 (2025–2027) focuses on activating high-potential circuits.
4. Economic and Regulatory Boosts To attract international cruise liners, several reforms have been introduced:
- Tax Incentives: A new presumptive tax regime for foreign cruise operators.
- Simplified Procedures: Implementation of a single e-Landing Card valid across all Indian ports for a single itinerary.
- Berthing Priority: Cruise vessels now receive priority berthing over cargo ships at major ports.