India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has outlined plans for an international cruise terminal at Puri, with Paradip Port Authority and the Odisha government set to develop the project together.
A ministry release published on November 3, 2026, puts the likely project cost at Rs 1,500 crore, equivalent to Rs 15 billion. Ports minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced the proposal at a consultative committee meeting in Puri.
The project would extend cruise infrastructure on India’s east coast. The release does not give a construction timetable, opening date, berth capacity or confirmed cruise-line commitments, leaving the scale and timing of future ship operations unresolved.
The ministry places the terminal within India’s wider cruise-growth programme. It reports 462,661 ocean-cruise passengers and 212 vessel calls in the 2025-26 financial year. The Cruise Bharat Mission targets one million sea-cruise passengers by March 2029.
For cruise operators considering new Indian itineraries, the announcement signals potential additional east-coast infrastructure. Deployment decisions will depend on further details about the terminal’s facilities, delivery schedule and operating arrangements.
