International Cruise Terminal Inaugurated in Mumbai

India marks a significant milestone in its tourism and maritime journey with the inauguration of the state-of-the-art International Cruise Terminal at Ballard Pier, Mumbai, today. The much-awaited is set to transform Mumbai into a major cruise tourism hub, enhancing both inbound and outbound international cruise traffic.

As the industry celebrates this landmark achievement, Safari Plus spoke with Mr. Sarabjit Singh, Owner of Travelite (India) and an esteemed veteran of the Indian tourism industry, who shared an inspiring journey—how the idea was seeded and grew into a reality over the past decade.

"It all started back in 2012 during the IATO Convention held in Mumbai," recalls Mr. Singh, who was then the Senior Vice President of IATO (Indian Association of Tour Operators). “I had invited the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a special breakfast meet with IATO members. During the meeting at Oberoi Towers, we had senior officials from over 12 Maharashtra government departments. Late Shri Lajpat Rai stood by my side, and Narendra Rathore brought along local tour operators to raise genuine ground-level issues.”

This crucial dialogue with the Chairman of Bombay Port Trust (BPT) and Maharashtra officials brought forward several operational and handling challenges related to cruise operations at Ballard Pier.

“It was an eye-opener,” said Mr. Singh. “On my return to Delhi, I pushed for a meeting with the Secretary, Ministry of Shipping. After months of effort, we finally got a breakthrough.”
The delegation that met the Secretary included well-known names from the tourism industry: Michael Haider Ali (Micato), Vivian Peres (Ven Tours), Paramjit Dhillon (Abercrombie & Kent), and Ashish Gupta (CEO Consulting, FAITH). The industry’s unified voice resonated strongly with the Ministry, leading to swift directives for BPT to re-engage with tourism stakeholders.

A subsequent joint meeting between the Ministry, BPT, and tourism professionals brought forward concrete proposals. Mr. Dey, General Manager of BPT, even suggested transforming the existing cargo terminal into a cruise terminal. Following a formal presentation to Shri Nitin Gadkari, who had recently taken charge as Minister of Shipping, a high-level committee was constituted, including representatives from both ministries and the tourism industry.

“Within three months, the committee presented its report, and the cruise terminal proposal was officially included in the Sagar Mala Project (2015),” shared Mr. Singh.

Mr. Singh concluded with pride, “This is not just an infrastructure achievement. It’s a testament to collaboration between the government and tourism industry. I may not remember all the names who contributed to this vision, but this terminal belongs to every single one of them. I am hopeful this will give a strong push to international cruise tourism in India.”

Today, more than a decade later, the dream has come to life.