Mumbai cruise terminal set for 2024, confirms CM Shinde

During his address at the Global Maritime India Summit inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister stated that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) would be capable of handling 200 cruise ships and one million passengers per annum. He elaborated on the maritime advantages that Maharashtra offered, mentioning the state's 720-km-long coastline, two major ports, over 14 major and intermediate ports, and numerous bays. All these factors, he explained, significantly contributed to India's maritime trade growth. He further stated that besides developing multimodal connectivity comprising roads, railways, sea, and waterways infrastructure for private ports, their maritime policy would boost maritime tourism, shipbuilding, repair, and recycling industries. He added that the efforts of Modi had raised India's position in the global maritime arena. Shinde pointed out that in 2022-2023, the state had experienced a significant increase in cargo volume, new routes were introduced for passenger transport services, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority remained one of the best-performing ports in India and among the top 30 global ports. Additionally, he mentioned that the Mumbai Port Authority offered the best yet lowest cruise tariffs worldwide. On the occasion, Governor Ramesh Bais released a postage stamp to mark the 150 years of Mumbai Port Authority and unveiled a book titled 'Propelling India's Maritime Vision.'