Mumbai, Apr 21 (PTI) The country's financial capital is aiming for a nine times increase in the number of cruise ship services by 2030, a top port official said on Monday.
The Mumbai Port Trust Authority is targeting the number of cruise ship services to increase to 900 per year by 2030, its chairman Sushil Kumar Singh said.
He made the announcement while speaking at a ceremony to mark the commencement of operations at the newly built Rs 555 crore international cruise terminal in the city.
As per a media report, the port has been handling 100 cruise ship services and 2.5 lakh passengers per year at present.
Work on the over 4 lakh square feet terminal began in 2018. It can handle 10,000 passengers a day or up to 10 lakh a year, as per the port officials.
Singh said the terminal, along with an upcoming marina nearby, will help transform the entire port.
Union Shipping and Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was also present at the event, where a 30-acre plot was handed over to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority to build its corporate headquarters.
Apart from that, a 12-acre botanical garden built at a cost of Rs 10 crore in association with Tata Trusts in Colaba, was also thrown open to the public.
A total of 10 projects entailing an investment of over Rs 1,800 crore were launched at the event.