India's Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced the construction of a world-class cruise terminal in Varanasi to boost river tourism. He also mentioned facilitating the movement of goods to and from Nepal via waterways. Sonowal made the announcement during a roadshow for the upcoming Global Maritime India Summit 2023. The event aims to drive cooperative and sustainable growth in the maritime sector, with the goal of generating INR 10 lakh crore ($134 billion) in investment and creating over 15 lakh (1.5 million) employment opportunities.
The Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal along with Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant will inaugurate the festival from Goa’s Fort Aguada Lighthouse in Panjim