Guwahati: Luxury cruise MV Ganga Vilas has completed its maiden trip and arrived at its final destination, Dibrugarh, where it was welcomed by the Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal. This historic event marks a pathbreaking achievement for the Inland Waterways sector in India, since the country's independence 75 years ago. Sonowal praised the successful completion of the world's longest river cruise and highlighted how India, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, is exploring new horizons to unlock the country's value.

The MV Ganga Vilas is the world's longest river cruise and has opened up new opportunities for river tourism in the entire South Asian region. The cruise has three decks and 18 suites with a capacity of 36 tourists and was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 13, 2023, from Varanasi, making it the first indigenously made cruise vessel in India. The MV Ganga Vilas covered a distance of over 3200 kms, with tourists travelling onboard having the opportunity to visit iconic places like Patna Sahib, Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila, Dhaka, the Sunderbans, and the Kaziranga before reaching Dibrugarh in Assam. The cruise is already booked for a round trip for the next two years.

The seamless movement of MV Ganga Vilas has demonstrated the viability of vessel movement between the Ganga Valley and Brahmaputra Valley, that is, from Varanasi to Dibrugarh via Kolkata using the IBPR. The success of MV Ganga Vilas's voyage is a significant development for Northeast India, as it opens up the opportunity to use inland waterways to reach sea ports and access international trade routes.

The Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur, stated that the focus on developing east India, particularly the Northeast, has been a major initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The success of the MV Ganga Vilas voyage is likely to boost the riverine potential of the entire region, from Varanasi to Kolkata and up to Dibrugarh.

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