India to launch ‘Made in India’ Cruise Ships : Nitin Gadkari commends Cochin Shipyard

NEW DELHI Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari on Friday expressed confidence that cruise ships will soon be manufactured in India.

Speaking at the CNBC-TV18’s Green Bharat Summit here, Gadkari said that he will ask the Cochin Shipyard to “make cruise ships in India.”The Union Minister also spoke extensively about the upscaling of waterways across the country. He added the Centre has carried out expansion in Bangladesh as well.

“As part of inlands waterway expansion projects, the government has made inland waterways in Bangladesh as well,” the Minister said at the event.

Earlier, the minister addressed the issue of growing pollution menace in India. According to the minister, around 40% of country’s pollution is caused by the transport industry. He also said that the Centre is looking at several measures to bring menace of pollution under control.

The ‘Make in India’ statement on cruise ship industry by Gadkari comes months after Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a simpler taxation for the shipping companies operating in India. Most of such companies are operating by global players. In her Union Budget speech, FM Sitharaman had proposed simpler tax.In India, cruise tourism is still an unexplored, niche sector. At present, India represents just 1 percent of overall international cruising sector. None of the major international cruise industry has presence in India