Antara River Cruises, Hooghly CSL ink deal for luxury Brahmaputra vessels

Kochi | Heritage River Journeys Private Limited, operating under the brand name Antara River Cruises, India's premier luxury river cruise operator, has entered into a construction contract with Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited (Hooghly CSL).

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Hooghly CSL, and the river cruise operator signed an agreement for the construction of two luxury river cruise vessels to be operated on the Brahmaputra River, an official statement said here on Tuesday.

Antara River Cruises, known for its immersive voyages along the Ganga, Padma, and Brahmaputra river systems, currently operates a fleet of bespoke luxury cruise vessels that sail South Asia's most iconic rivers.

Its flagship vessel, Ganga Vilas, offers the longest and most picturesque river cruise in the world, a CSL spokesperson said in the statement.

The agreement for the construction of the first vessel and a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the second were signed by Sanil Peter, CEO of Hooghly CSL, and Raj Singh, Founder and Chairman of Antara River Cruises, in the presence of Madhu S Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of CSL, along with senior officials from CSL and Antara.

Once these vessels are put into operation, India—with its vast network of rivers and waterways—will secure a prominent position on the global river cruise map, creating significant revenue opportunities from the largely untapped river cruise market, the statement said.

It will also mark a historic milestone in the country's maritime sector, with these being the pioneer luxury river cruise vessels to be classified under the Inland Vessels (IV) Rules, 2022, and the first to operate on the Brahmaputra River, it added.

Aimed at delivering culturally immersive and sustainable sailing experiences along the country's iconic waterways, this development is envisaged to be a game-changer for luxury river cruising in India.

The new vessels promise to set new benchmarks for luxury, safety, and sustainability in inland navigation. They also reflect a strong push towards the Centre's ‘Make in India' initiative and showcase India's growing capacity to design and construct globally competitive cruise vessels of international standards, the statement added.