According to Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), India plans to invest INR 350 billion by 2047 to build a network of waterways across the nation. Creating waterways and jetties will be part of the strategy that will be put into action over the next 25 years in order to increase the capacity of Indian rivers for navigation. The world’s longest river cruise covers two national waterways (NWs) and travels into Bangladesh, according to Bandopadhyay. “This cruise will go more than 3,200 km along Routes NW1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi- Hooghly), IBP Route 1, and NW2 (Brahmaputra). This serves to further solidify the decision that this route is ready for the transportation of both passengers and freight,” said Bandopadhyay. It is the first river cruise to link Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. It starts in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and ends in Dibrugarh (Assam). 32 visitors from Switzerland will be transported on the inaugural flight. The MV Ganga Vilas is scheduled to arrive in Dibrugarh on March 1, 2023. “Such river trips will be offered on 150 vessels over 80 circuits. By 2047, it would require an estimated 350 billion in investment,” he added. The majority of this capital investment will go into creating jetties and waterways to improve river navigation for larger ships. A circuit is a path that travels past popular tourist attractions in separate and distinct locations. For river cruise operations on the IBP route, the IWAI has already designated the Mongla, Barisal, and Narayanganj circuits. According to Bandopadhyay, the private sector will be motivated to make this investment because there is a good chance that the costs will be recouped. Speaking of the future, he predicted that more of these services would start, along with plans to improve river cruises in India’s southern backwaters.