Heritage River Journeys Private Limited, operating under the brand name Antara River Cruises, the country’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) — for the construction of two luxury river cruise vessels to be operated on the Brahmaputra River.

Antara River Cruises, renowned 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, most picturesque river cruise in the world. This epic journey, famously showcased by the Limca Book of Records, covers over 3,200 km across 27 rivers and traverses diverse regions, including the Gangetic plains, the Sundarbans, and the Brahmaputra Valley.

The agreement for construction of the first vessel and a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the second were signed by Sanil Peter, CEO, Hooghly CSL, and Raj Singh, Founder and Chairman, Antara River Cruises.

Once these vessels are put into operation, India - with its large network of rivers and waterways - will secure a prominent position on the global river cruise map, opening a gateway for the country to generate significant revenue from the largely untapped river cruise market.

It will also mark a Historic Milestone in Indian maritime history — it is the pioneer luxury river cruise vessel to be classified under the Inland Vessels (IV) Rules, 2022, and the first to operate on the Brahmaputra River.

The new vessels promise to set new benchmarks for luxury, safety, and sustainability in inland navigation and reflect a strong push towards the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and showcase India’s growing capacity to design and construct globally competitive cruise vessels of international standards, a press release said.

Published on June 24, 2025