ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue 2025 aimed at enhancing cruise operations begins

In a bid to improve the cruise operations across ASEAN and Indian ports and to optimise partnerships, ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue 2025 began on Monday.

The two-day forum has 30 delegates from 10 ASEAN member states which include The Philippines, Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam discussing about regulatory frameworks, connectivity challenges and best practices in cruise sector.

While addressing the media, Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways said, “It is the second edition of such a dialogue and the first one in the country. This is mainly to develop our collaboration and cooperation to promote cruise industry. This initiative is required so that, in this part of the world, ASEAN and India can play an important role. We want to have a major share in the participation of ocean cruise, sea cruise and river cruise.”

T. K. Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said, the idea was also to have a cruise circuit and involve all these countries in order to make it more lucrative for everyone.

Sunil Paliwal, chairman of Cruise Bharat Mission and Chennai and Kamarajar Ports said, the cruise terminal in Chennai Port has been having regular vessel calls. “After the signing of the agreement in 2022, we started having vessel calls for four months. Next September, the same company is getting one more ship, and then we hope to have one cruise vessel permanently. We are improving on our cruise terminal as well,” he added.

Mr. Sonowal also laid the foundation stone for four projects at Chennai Port, including improvement of cruise terminal which would enhance passenger handling capacity, development of paved storage yard on 9.9 hectares, development of seafarers club and conservation, renovation and restoration of old hydraulic power house into a historic monument.