Kendrapada: Paradip Port Authority (PPA), in partnership with Odisha govt, will develop the proposed Puri International Cruise Terminal at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore, Union ports, shipping and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Tuesday evening.Addressing the ministry’s consultative committee meeting in Puri, Sonowal said the Centre aimed to double coastal and inland waterways’ share in India’s freight movement from 6% to 12% by 2047 and attract one million sea cruise passengers by 2029.The meeting on strengthening coastal and cruise shipping was attended by minister of state Shantanu Thakur and eight MPs. The ministry’s secretary outlined measures to promote both sectors.India has more than 11,000 km of coastline, offering significant scope for long-distance freight movement through coastal shipping. Coastal cargo handled at Indian ports increased from 74 million metric tonnes to 177 million metric tonnes over the past 12 years, a rise of around 140%, Sonowal said.The Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme, announced in the 2026-27 Union Budget, will provide incentives to cargo owners, coastal vessel operators and multimodal transport operators to encourage coastal movement of goods.In 2025-26, India recorded 4.62 lakh ocean cruise passengers and 212 vessel calls. This represented a 5.5-fold increase in passenger traffic and a 2.1-fold rise in vessel calls compared with 2013-14.The Cruise Bharat Mission, launched in Sept 2024, aims to attract one million sea cruise passengers and create four lakh jobs by March 2029.Twenty river cruise circuits across 16 National Waterways are operational, while 51 more have been identified for phased development. Sonowal said 143 river cruise terminals and landing points were operational.The two initiatives are expected to generate more than 5.6 lakh jobs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 16 million metric tonnes.Sonowal also highlighted the proposed development of National Waterway-5 in Odisha with an estimated investment exceeding Rs 13,000 crore. It is envisaged to connect industrial and mining hubs, including Talcher and Kalinganagar, with east coast ports.MPs offered suggestions for strengthening maritime infrastructure across the country. Sonowal said their inputs would help shape the Centre’s efforts to build a competitive, sustainable and thriving maritime ecosystem.