"India to work with ASEAN nations to develop cruise tourism hub of global south": Sarbananda Sonowal
The meet hosted by India is being attended by all the member nations of ASEAN; i.e. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, along with Timor Leste.
The dialogue aims to strengthen maritime cooperation, enhance cruise connectivity, and promote sustainable tourism across the Indo-Pacific region.
The meeting was held aboard the MV Empress (Cordelia Cruise ship) at Chennai Port, with more than 30 delegates from ASEAN countries. Along with the stakeholders and senior officials from the MoPSW, the event will continue in Mamallapuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said India plans to professionalise 5,000 km of navigable waterways to enhance cruise connectivity with ASEAN nations.
Speaking at the inaugural ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue in Chennai, Sonowal noted that the Sagar Mala initiative aims for one million cruise passengers by 2029, with ship calls rising sharply from 102 in 2013-14 to over 14,000 today, driven by policy reforms, tax measures, and improved port infrastructure.
Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted, 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to boost coastal connectivity and modernise customs and immigration can be achieved with greater cooperation. Two thematic sessions are guiding the discussions on 'ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund: Trade & Investment' and on 'ASEAN-India Cruise Tourist Circuits: Cruise Tourism.'
Speaking further, Sonowal said, 'Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cruise Bharat Mission, Maritime India Vision 2030, and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 aim to position India as a global leader in cruise tourism, offering exceptional and affordable cruising experiences. With more collaboration and cooperation, both at the private as well as regional level, this meeting can power the cruise tourism to realise its transformative potential to act as a powerful catalyst for economic growth, cultural exchange and employment generation across the region.' India and ASEAN nations can together become the hub of cruise tourism of the Global South.'
The participants, who include policy leaders as well as industry leaders from the region, are also deliberating on connectivity gaps, regulatory best practices, and pathways to promote inclusive and sustainable cruise growth in the region.
The Government of India envisions the ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue as a recurring multilateral forum that will serve as a strategic enabler for regional maritime growth and people-to-people connectivity. This edition marks a significant step in positioning India and ASEAN at the centre of cruise tourism in the Indo-Pacific.
During the two-day meeting, the dialogue will also visit Mamallapuram, with sessions on heritage-led cruise tourism and deeper ASEAN-India collaboration. Delegates will also tour the shore temples and rock-cut monuments, highlighting India's cultural and coastal tourism appeal.
The ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue 2025 supports national goals under the 'Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047' and National Cruise Tourism Strategy, underscoring India's commitment to stronger maritime partnerships and modern cruise infrastructure. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Online Gaming Bill can damage India's digital economy: K'taka IT minister
The Union government's decision to impose a blanket ban on real money gaming (RMG), with the passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill in the parliament, has drawn sharp criticism from Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge, who called it a 'knee-jerk reaction' that could damage India's digital economy. Online Gaming Bill can damage India's digital economy: K'taka IT minister The online gaming sector has grown rapidly in recent years, generating close to ₹20,000 crore annually through GST and income tax. Over 2,000 gaming startups operate in the country, many of them providing coding, design, and backend services for global platforms. Industry estimates suggest that more than two lakh jobs in IT, AI design, and the creative economy are linked to this ecosystem. The sector has also attracted around ₹23,000 crore in foreign direct investment (FDI) over the past five years, said Kharge. Kharge warned that the ban threatens this entire ecosystem. 'Thousands of people will be unemployed, the gaming talent pool will shrink, and allied sectors like data centres, advertising, and cybersecurity will be hit. If the government is talking about building a $10 trillion digital economy, how does shutting down this vertical send the right signal to global investors?' he said. A senior government official had told HT that the Centre weighed the revenue from online money games against their social costs and concluded that the latter outweighed the financial gains. The official added that 45 crore players have lost ₹20,000 crore to online money games. The government is also of the view that these money games not only create a financial burden but also contribute to behavioural changes like addiction and related suicides among youth. Beyond jobs and revenue, Kharge argued that prohibition will push users to unregulated offshore platforms. Industry observers have also raised similar concerns, pointing out that platforms based in China and Eastern Europe often operate without mechanisms like KYC or tax compliance, raising risks of money laundering, data theft, and even terror financing. The minister said the industry itself has been demanding regulation, not prohibition. 'Addiction won't end by banning platforms. Instead, users will flock to offshore servers where no safeguards exist. If they lose money there, who will they complain to?' he asked. Estimates suggest that India could lose nearly ₹8 lakh crore annually to unregulated foreign operators if players migrate en masse. Government officials have acknowledged that the ban will affect the industry but maintain that companies can reorient themselves towards recreational and casual games that do not involve monetary stakes. Kharge, however, drew a comparison with India's earlier attempt to block pornography websites, saying such bans only drove users to VPNs and unregulated domains. He also criticised the timing of the Online Gaming Bill, describing it, along with other recent pieces of legislation like the the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2025, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, as a 'diversion' from the Election Commission's ongoing scrutiny of electoral rolls. 'It is common sense that illegal markets will threaten national security. How many URLs can you block? They will just reappear under different domains. And if servers move abroad, they go beyond India's ambit,' Kharge said. HT reached out to IT ministry officials for a comment but did not immediately receive a response.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Punjab Finance Minister Cheema criticises Centre's GST rate rationalisation, terms it ‘irresponsible'
Criticising the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate rationalisation and terming it 'irresponsible', Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has asked the Central government to immediately release compensation of ₹50,000 crore to Punjab to cover losses after GST implementation. After participating in the two-day meeting of the GST ministerial group on health and insurance, rationalising rates, and compensation cess, Mr. Cheema said that since the implementation of GST in 2017, Punjab has suffered a total financial loss of ₹1,11,045 crore. Also read: Required reforms: On reforms to the GST system He said that despite receiving approximately ₹60,000 crore as compensation from the Centre, ₹50,000 crore is still pending. The Central government had announced a 5-year compensation package to states in lieu of financial losses incurred due to GST implementation, but this compensation has now been discontinued, he said. 'While the Punjab government is not opposed to the rationalisation of GST rates, the Union government must take responsibility for the resulting financial losses to the states. The BJP-led Central government is continuously undermining the financial structure of states, which is a significant attack on the federal structure of the country. The Central government is even evading the release of funds to Punjab. Apart from GST, ₹8,000 crore of rural development funds and over ₹1,000 crore under the Prime Minister's Road Scheme are also being withheld,' he said. Hitting out at the BJP-led Union government for repeatedly making changes to the GST system without reaching a definitive solution, Mr. Cheema said this uncertainty leads to constant harassment of taxpayers and a systematic breakdown of the country's financial framework. The gambling with the tax structure would cause massive harm to the nation, he said, dismissing the Centre's promises as mere rhetoric.
Economic Times
4 hours ago
- Economic Times
Centre sets up Rajiv Gauba-led panels to drive next-gen reforms, Viksit Bharat goals
The central government has formed two high-powered groups. These groups will focus on next-generation reforms. Rajiv Gauba leads these groups. One group aims to achieve Viksit Bharat goals. The other focuses on regulatory reforms in the non-financial sector. A separate committee works on deregulation at the state level. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: To usher in next-generation reforms , the Centre has constituted two high-powered groups of secretaries, technocrats and economists, headed by full-time NITI Aayog member and former Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba , sources said.A separate committee chaired by Cabinet Secretary TVS Swaminathan is working on deregulation at the state the two panels led by Gauba, one is tasked with realising the Viksit Bharat goals, while the other focuses on non-financial sector regulatory two groups held their first meeting on Thursday and will coordinate with informal ministerial panels chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh The groups were set up following Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's Independence Day address, where he underscored the need for next-generation reforms and announced the formation of a task committees include the secretaries of DPIIT, Expenditure, MSME and Power, along with the director generals of industry chambers - CII, FICCI and addition, industry leaders such as Pawan Goenka, HR firm head Manish Sabharwal, and Boston Consulting Group India Chairperson Janmejay Sinha are also members of one of the committees were formed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently met economists and several Union ministers to discuss next-generation reforms.
