Wed Sep 18 01:00:05 UTC 2024: ## India Aims to Become a Yachting Destination with New Marina Policy
**New Delhi:** India, despite boasting a vast coastline, currently lacks the infrastructure to cater to the burgeoning yacht market. This has forced wealthy Indians to park their yachts in international locations like Singapore and Dubai. However, the Modi government aims to change this with a new policy to promote “yacht tourism and personal yachting”.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) plans to build marinas along the eastern and western coastlines, offering international-standard facilities for sailing and parking yachts. These marinas, modeled after those in Europe, will be part of the “Cruise India Mission,” which seeks to attract international cruise passengers by developing airport-like facilities at ports.
“This includes developing the ecosystem for yachts with the development of marinas along the Indian coastline,” said Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. “We are adding a new dimension to our plan to promote cruise tourism.”
The government believes this initiative will not only cater to wealthy Indians but also provide ample employment opportunities, with each yacht estimated to require at least 20 crew members. The plan also includes developing commercial areas around marinas, featuring hotels, shopping malls, and recreational facilities.
While India’s yacht market is currently small, growing at a rate of 1.2% globally, the government aims to attract major international yacht companies to set up shop in India and offer their services.
“Yachting has tremendous potential for growth in India where this becomes a status symbol for the upwardly mobile,” said Anil Devli, CEO of the Indian National Shipowners Association (INSA). He also urged the government to focus on domestic production of yachts and ease visa regulations to attract skilled technicians.
The MoPSW will also address security concerns with agencies like the Coast Guard and Indian Navy to ensure safe passage of yachts along the Indian coast.
“If you develop facilities as per global standards, then definitely you get all the stakeholders around,” said Sonowal, expressing confidence that this initiative will attract yacht owners worldwide.
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