India’s First International Cruise Terminal Opens In Mumbai

India’s first international cruise terminal located at Mumbai’s Ballard Pier in Mazgaon, was inaugurated today, April 21, 2025 by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.

The terminal is developed by the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA).

The state-of-the-art terminal is spread over 415,000 square feet and can handle 500 cruise ships and up to 1 million passengers every year.

Daily, the facility can manage up to 10,000 travellers with the help of 72 immigration counters.

The terminal can handle check-ins for up to five cruise ships simultaneously.

The facility has been developed to not only cater to the growing number of domestic travellers but also to attract a larger share of international tourists to Mumbai and the surrounding metropolitan region.

As of now, nearly 300,000 Indians travel by cruise annually, mostly from foreign ports.

The new terminal aims to change that, offering Indians an opportunity to begin international sea voyages directly from Mumbai.

The terminal, constructed at a cost of ₹556 crore, is a ground-plus-three structure. While the ground and first floors will be used for passenger handling, the second and third floors are planned for commercial leasing.

Out of the total area, nearly 200,000 square feet will be dedicated to retail, leisure, and dining purposes. This will also help turn the space into a lively waterfront destination, even when cruise ships are not docked.

The building features 22 elevators, 10 escalators, and parking spaces for around 300 cars.

The project is part of a public-private partnership, with operations managed by private operators Ballard Pier Port Private Limited and J M Baxi & Co.

MbPA has signed a 30-year concession agreement with the operating partner, which includes a security deposit of ₹30 crore and an annual rent of ₹5 crore increasing by 5% each year.

The development work on the cruise terminal started back in 2018. Although the original completion deadline was set for July 2022, the project faced several delays due to funding and operational hurdles.

However, with its completion now in sight, it is expected to transform Mumbai into a major hub for cruise tourism in South Asia.

In the last fiscal year, Mumbai received 20 international cruise calls and 71 domestic cruise calls, accounting for nearly 200,000 passengers.

Currently, Cordelia Cruises operates out of Mumbai twice a week.

During the inauguration ceremony on April 21, 2025, Minister Sonowal will also launched several other initiatives.

This includes the newly redeveloped Sagar Upvan Gardens at Colaba and a shore-to-ship electric power facility that allows vessels to connect to onshore power, thereby cutting emissions and reducing the use of diesel generators while docked.

A plot at Reay Road will be handed over to the Hare Krishna Mission for setting up a community kitchen.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), India’s largest container terminal operator, will also be receiving office space in Mumbai for the first time at Mallet Bunder.

Reference: freepressjournal

Source: Maritime Shipping News