The first-ever ASEAN–India Cruise Dialogue was inaugurated on June 30, 2025, in Chennai by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. Held aboard the MV Empress cruise ship at Chennai Port, the event saw participation from all ten ASEAN member nations along with Timor Leste and senior Indian officials.
The Dialogue aims to strengthen cruise connectivity and maritime cooperation across the Indo-Pacific, while promoting sustainable tourism. Over 30 delegates are participating in the two-day meet, which also includes sessions in Mamallapuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Speaking at the event, Shri Sonowal emphasized India’s ambition to become the cruise tourism hub of the Global South. He noted that the country is investing in modernizing 5,000 km of navigable waterways and that cruise passenger traffic is expected to reach 1 million by 2029. “We envision an integrated cruise circuit linking Indian and ASEAN coastal cities through modern ports and real-time tracking systems,” he stated.
He highlighted the government’s alignment with initiatives like Viksit Bharat 2047 and the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, calling for shared action on heritage-led tourism and maritime infrastructure. He also emphasized collaborative policy reforms and tax incentives to boost cruise passenger traffic—already witnessing a dramatic rise from 102 ship calls in 2013–14 to more than 14,000 today.
The Dialogue includes two thematic sessions on “ASEAN–India Cooperation Fund: Trade & Investment” and “ASEAN–India Cruise Tourist Circuits,” focusing on building new cruise tourism routes and harmonizing regulations between partner countries.
Union Minister of State Shri Shantanu Thakur echoed the sentiment, saying that ASEAN is a key part of India’s Act East Policy. “Our ancient maritime links are being renewed through cruise tourism, enabling economic growth, cultural exchange, and people-to-people connection,” he said.
Delegates will also tour historic monuments in Mamallapuram as part of a session on heritage-based cruise routes. The dialogue supports national goals laid out in the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 and India’s Cruise Tourism Strategy.
The event was attended by senior officials from MoPSW including Secretary Shri T.K. Ramachandran, Special Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Sinha, and senior state officials from Tamil Nadu. Industry leaders also joined discussions on building robust cruise infrastructure across the region.
India envisions this Dialogue as a recurring platform to turn the Indo-Pacific into a thriving cruise tourism region, with India and ASEAN nations leading the way.
Source: Press Information Bureau
