Tamil Nadu’s industries minister, TRB Rajaa, announced today that Foxconn, a Taiwanese contract manufacturing giant, would invest INR 15,000 crore in the state, generating 14,000 high-value jobs. The minister claims that this is the state’s biggest-ever commitment to engineering jobs and that it will greatly strengthen Tamil Nadu’s advanced manufacturing and electronics industries.
In a post on the social media site X, Rajaa claimed that Tamil Nadu has the biggest engineering positions ever. Dedication to Tamil Nadu! Foxconn pledges 14,000 high-value jobs and INR 15,000 crore in investments! Prepare, engineers! According to Rajaa, Foxconn intends to introduce its next stage of sophisticated technology operations powered by AI, R&D integration, and value-added manufacturing to Tamil Nadu.
Foxconn Affirms its Commitment in TN
According to Raja, Robert Wu, Foxconn’s India representative, met with MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, to reiterate the company’s faith in the state by presenting significant investment intentions. “As @CMOTamilNadu Thiru and @MKStalin Avargal met with Foxconn’s India Representative Robert Wu to reaffirm their deep trust in Tamil Nadu with substantial investment commitments,” he wrote in his post, adding that this was yet another significant boost for the state’s electronics and advanced manufacturing sector.
The first-ever Foxconn Desk in India will be established by Guidance, the investment promotion agency of Tamil Nadu, to facilitate these initiatives. The minister referred to this desk as a step towards what he called the “Dravidian Model 2.0”, saying it will guarantee the seamless facilitation of projects and mission-mode implementation.
Robert Wu Met Karnataka CM
Following Robert Wu’s meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on 12 October, the announcement was made. They talked about strategies to increase Foxconn’s footprint in Karnataka and looked into new manufacturing and technological cooperation options during the discussion. Currently operating in Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, Foxconn’s new plans mark a significant expansion of its presence in India.
In order to guarantee “seamless facilitation and mission-mode execution” of the company’s investments, the Foxconn Desk will be established within Guidance Tamil Nadu. According to Dr Rajaa, the news supports Tamil Nadu’s plan to increase the development of high-value jobs and highlights the state’s rising significance as a major electronics manufacturing hub in India.
Quick Shots
•Foxconn
to invest INR 15,000 crore in Tamil Nadu.
•The
investment will generate 14,000 high-value engineering jobs.
•AI-powered
technology, R&D integration, and value-added manufacturing.
•First-ever
Foxconn Desk in India to ensure seamless project facilitation.
•Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and Industries Minister TRB
Rajaa emphasize mission-mode execution.
•Foxconn already operates in
Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, marking a major footprint expansion.
Robert Kiyosaki, best-known for his book “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” has once again issued a strong warning about a looming global market crash, forecasting that it could be the biggest in history and occur this year. He believes that investors should move away from traditional savings and embrace what he calls ‘real assets’ such as silver and Ethereum. His views have sparked widespread debate across financial circles, with many tracking the real-time impact on markets and the growing unrest among investors.
Renewed Concerns After Recent Market Turmoil
Kiyosaki’s latest concerns come in the wake of a sharp cryptocurrency market crash, triggered by US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of 100% tariffs on Chinese imports. This sudden policy shift caused losses in major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, amplifying worries about broader market instability. Kiyosaki suggests that such events confirm his longstanding predictions; financial systems built on “paper promises” and printed money are increasingly vulnerable during economic stress.
He describes “Baby Boomer” retirees as particularly at risk, warning that their savings and retirement accounts could be wiped out, possibly leaving many without secure housing. According to Kiyosaki, inflation erodes the value of cash savings, and he repeats his mantra: “Savers are losers.” He encourages people to seek safety in tangible assets rather than relying on fiat currencies or conventional pensions.
Recommended Safe Havens: Silver and Ethereum
Kiyosaki believes that “real assets” such as gold, silver, Bitcoin, and now Ethereum, are the safest ways to protect money during economic uncertainty. He points out silver and Ethereum as especially good choices because they are useful in industry and are currently seen as undervalued. This year, silver prices have risen almost 48%, while gold and Bitcoin have also grown strongly. He advises investors to learn about both the benefits and risks of these assets and stresses the importance of being financially informed before making decisions.
Support for Trump’s 401(k) Retirement Plan Changes
Kiyosaki has also endorsed President Trump’s expansion of the 401(k) retirement plan, which now allows Americans to diversify into alternative investments like real estate, gold, silver, Bitcoin, and Ethereum. He claims this change, alongside Trump’s Middle East peace initiatives, provides workers and retirees with opportunities to extend their financial security through assets beyond the stock and bond markets. Kiyosaki criticises conventional investment vehicles and highlights how inflation threatens the long-term value of retirement savings.
Straightforward Advice for Investors
Kiyosaki’s outlook is simple and clear: avoid reliance on cash, printed money, and standard mutual funds or ETFs. He recommends holding assets that have real-world use and scarcity, like silver and Ethereum, as a buffer against economic uncertainty. Kiyosaki’s caution is not an invitation to panic but a call for individuals to make informed choices and keep learning about the financial landscape.
Kiyosaki’s predictions, while contested, highlight current anxieties about global market stability, inflation, and the future of retirement security. Investors are encouraged to weigh risks carefully, seek out genuine value, and stay updated on market changes as events unfold.
Tata Trusts have made an unprecedented exception to the group’s standard retirement age, granting Natarajan (N.) Chandrasekaran for a third term as chairman of Tata Sons. Ordinarily, executives must retire at 65, but the Trusts’ decision allows Chandrasekaran to continue until 2032, a rare move in the history of the Tata group.
Exception to the 65-Year Rule: What Changed
Chandrasekaran’s current term was set to end in February 2027, as he approaches the age threshold of 65. But the Trusts approved a resolution that waives this age barrier for his third term, making him the first Tata executive permitted to serve beyond the usual limit.
Though the decision is symbolic in many ways, it also has a legal and governance effect. It gives the Tata Sons board the formal authority to consider and ratify the extension once the current term ends.
The move marks a significant departure from long-standing Tata norms, where strict retirement rules have guided leadership transitions across companies in the group.
Why the Trusts Chose to Bend the Rule
1. Continuity through strategic transformations
Tata is planning and investing hugely in sectors such as semiconductors, electric vehicles (EVs), EV battery manufacturing, and the turnaround of Air India. These are capital-intensive, long gestation industries that benefit from steady leadership over many years. The Trusts believe that extending Chandrasekaran’s term will help the group execute these complex plans without leadership disruption.
2. Avoiding instability during critical periods
The timing of this extension is notable: Tata has several major projects, deals, and restructuring efforts in motion. A change in leadership in the middle of such phases could introduce uncertainty. The exception is meant to maintain stability while these programmes mature.
3. Confidence in his leadership record
Since becoming chairman in 2017, Chandrasekaran has guided Tata through challenging times, including global market shifts, internal reorganisations, and acquisitions. His track record has evidently convinced the Trusts that he is well placed to oversee the next phase of transformation.
Reactions, Challenges & What to Watch
Market and public reaction
The decision has drawn mixed responses:
Supporters argue that continuity makes sense during this transformational period and that changing leadership could slow down or jeopardise critical initiatives.
Critics raise concerns about governance: bending a fixed rule may set a precedent, and some worry it clouds clarity about how future leadership decisions will be handled.
Governance and legal implications
While the Trusts’ resolution clears the path for an extended term, formal steps remain:
The Tata Sons board must formally ratify the extension when the time comes.
Observers will closely watch any future leadership choices to see whether similar exceptions become normalised.
Given Tata’s deep footprint in the Indian industry and public importance, any changes in its leadership model attract attention from regulators, stakeholders, and the government. Some reports suggest government officials have signalled to Tata leaders that maintaining stability is crucial, hinting at the broader implications of governance in large groups.
What This Means for Tata’s Future
Tata Sons plays a major role in India’s economy, so any leadership change naturally gets a lot of attention. Reports suggest that even government officials have supported the idea of keeping things stable at the top, given how important the group is to several key industries.
By extending Chandrasekaran’s term, the Tata Trusts have shown strong faith in his leadership. This move gives the group steady direction as it invests in new areas like semiconductors, electric vehicles, and aviation. It also avoids confusion or delays that could come with a leadership change.
However, the decision will be watched closely. It breaks a long-standing rule, and people will want to see if similar exceptions are made in the future. For now, it means Tata will continue under a trusted leader while it works on some of its biggest projects yet.
Following the release of the company’s second-quarter results, Chief Human Resources Officer Sudeep Kunnumal stated that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) would increase variable compensation for senior personnel while maintaining its 100% quarterly incentives for younger people, according to the Press Trust of India. In addition to yearly pay increases, Kunnumal affirmed that workers in grades C, C1, and C2 will continue to receive their full Quarterly Variable Allowance (QVA).
According to him, the updated policy is to compensate senior executives according to their individual and unit success, with total rewards being more than those of the previous year. In essence, it covers everyone who has worked for the company and is eligible for the quarterly bonus, with the possible exception of recent hires, Kunnumal told PTI. The business has been paying 100% at the junior level and will keep doing so. TCS will pay seniors more, once more depending on their performance as individuals and as a team.
Why TCS Decided to Deploy this Move?
Kunnumal reaffirmed in an internal email quoted by the Economic Times that staff at C2 grade and higher would receive 100% of their QVA, while those at C3A grade and higher would receive variable rewards based on performance indicators. He wrote, “This segment’s overall QVA payout will be higher than it was last year.”
The adjustments are made as TCS, the biggest provider of IT services in India, is under investigation for personnel realignment and restructuring. In response to rumours of widespread layoffs, Kunnumal explained that although the company is restructuring positions as part of its push for artificial intelligence, the number of job losses would be closer to 12,000, or around 2% of its worldwide workforce, rather than the 50,000 to 80,000 estimates that some media sources had stated.
At a period of industry-wide change, TCS’s updated pay structure reflects its intention to strike a balance between stability for its younger employees and more robust performance-linked incentives for senior staff. According to analysts, TCS’s variable pay policies frequently serve as a model for larger developments in remuneration in the Indian IT industry.
TCS Layoffs is it On or a Speculation
TCS wants to lay off between 50,000 and 80,000 workers, according to media reports, although Kunnumal refuted the inflated figures. He explained that although TCS is reorganising and restructuring positions as part of its emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI), the actual number of job losses is significantly smaller—roughly 12,000 positions, or 2% of its worldwide workforce. Kunnumal emphasised that many rumours are not factually correct and that the corporation is not aiming for a specific number of layoffs.
Quick Shots
•TCS increases variable compensation for senior employees based
on performance.
•Employees in grades C, C1, and C2 continue receiving 100%
Quarterly Variable Allowance (QVA).
•Seniors at C3A grade and above get variable rewards tied to
individual and unit performance.
•TCS is reorganizing roles amid AI adoption, but layoffs are
limited to ~12,000 employees (2% of workforce).
Thomas Kurian, the CEO of Google Cloud, has refuted popular concerns that AI will replace tech employment, claiming that AI will enable humans to do tasks that they were previously unable to do. Kurian stressed that AI’s main function is to augment human talents rather than completely replace them in an interview with the tech newsletter Big Technology.
Kurian told Big Technology, “I think there is definitely a middle ground,” in response to forecasts of widespread automation of the workforce. He cited empirical data from Google’s Customer Engagement Suite, a set of AI-driven customer support resources introduced the previous year. When asked if they would require fewer customer support representatives, Kurian responded that “almost none of our clients have let anyone go.”
Tech Acting as a Helping Hand: Google Cloud CEO
Tasks that consumers used to completely avoid, including enquiries too trivial to justify contacting a customer support representative, are now being handled by the technology. This increase in capabilities rather than a reduction in staff is indicative of Google’s larger approach to the application of AI. “Does this mean we won’t need customer service agents anymore?” was one of the questions that clients had when Google first unveiled the Customer Engagement Suite, according to Kurian.
“The answer has been a resounding no,” he underlined. This viewpoint was reaffirmed by Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a June interview with the Lex Fridman podcast, when he disclosed that the company has observed a 10% increase in engineer productivity as a result of AI tools. Google monitors this growth by calculating the extra engineering capacity generated by AI-powered help in hours each week.
Google Planning to Hire More Engineers: Pichai
According to Pichai, Google intends to hire more engineers in the upcoming year rather than reduce its workforce. He said, “The opportunity space of what we can do is expanding,” and he expressed optimism that AI will empower engineers to engage in more creative projects by doing away with monotonous tasks. This augmentation strategy is supported by the data.
Over 30% of Google’s new code is now AI-generated, up from 25% in October, according to Pichai, who made this revelation on Alphabet’s most recent earnings call. Darren Hardman, the CEO of Microsoft UK, also said that GitHub Copilot currently contributes 40% of Microsoft’s code, allowing the company to release more products in the last 12 months than the prior three combined. Tech workers can feel reassured by Kurian’s message: AI is a tool for amplification, not eradication.
Quick Shots
•Thomas
Kurian emphasizes AI is meant to augment human skills, not eliminate
employment.
•AI
handles small, repetitive tasks, freeing staff for higher-value work.
•Google
reports a 10% increase in engineering efficiency thanks to AI tools.
•Sundar
Pichai confirms the company will hire more engineers, not reduce staff.
After dominating the high-end smartphone market, Apple is now attempting to compete with Meta and offer something different. Apple analyst Mark Gurman claims that the corporation is prepared to abandon all of its plans for the Apple Vision Air and instead focus on introducing smart glasses for consumers.
With their AR/VR capabilities, these glasses will function as a more portable gadget that stands out from the competition. According to early speculations, Apple will release two versions of the device simultaneously: one with and one without a display. Let’s take a quick look at everything that is currently available regarding Apple’s impending smart glasses.
Apple Smart Glasses to have Two Variants
There will be two versions of the Apple Smart Glass: one with and one without a display. For seamless operation, the iPhone will be linked with the no-display one. There are rumours that the gadget will come with voice, camera, microphone, and artificial intelligence capabilities.
With this one, it’s likely that we’ll get to experience Siri on steroids. In addition, the gadget will have health monitoring capabilities, allowing end users to have a highly personalised experience. At debut, the glasses will come in a variety of colours and styles.
Other Loaded Features of Apple Smart Glasses
Due to its separate display, the Apple Smart Glasses with a display will provide a superior experience. This one will most likely show us an in-frame or in-lens display that can provide augmented visuals, notifications, and other essential information. In addition, leaks indicate that when the gadget is linked to a Mac, it will support full visionOS and have numerous switch modes.
Regarding the release schedule, it is anticipated that Apple’s no-display smart glasses will be available in the second half of 2026. In contrast, Apple’s display-integrated smart glasses might be ready by 2027. There is currently little information available on the two. Before an official announcement is made, we may anticipate learning more about the devices in the near future through leaks and rumours.
Whether Apple can ultimately grasp AI-driven features is the most important question. It is forced to take on that challenge because there is so much at stake. Apple may ultimately opt to produce the Vision Air. However, for the time being, Apple’s choice to concentrate on smart glasses makes sense. The success of Meta’s smart glasses is not the only reason it has helped pave the way. Additionally, Meta has struggled to offer mixed reality headsets at a significantly cheaper cost than Apple’s Vision Pro.
Quick Shots
•Apple has reportedly shelved its Vision Air project
to focus on developing new Smart Glasses.
•The Smart Glasses will come in two variants — one
with a display and one without a display.
•The no-display version will link with the iPhone
and feature voice, camera, AI, and Siri integration.
•The display model may support visionOS, augmented
visuals, and Mac connectivity.
According to several reports, Google is launching a new feature in its Chrome browser for desktop and Android users that will automatically disable notifications from websites that users often ignore. Building on Chrome’s already-existing Safety Check function, the addition aims to enhance browsing and lessen “notification fatigue.”
Users may currently manage sensitive rights like location tracking and camera access with Chrome’s Safety Check function, according to reports. By automatically removing permission for websites that send too many alerts with little to no interaction, the latest version expands that feature to website notifications.
How Google Chrome New Feature will Work?
Users can simply unsubscribe from website alerts with a single press thanks to an existing Android functionality that is mirrored by the auto-revocation feature. Web apps that are installed on the device won’t be impacted, though.
Only websites with a high volume of alerts and little user interaction will have their notifications turned off. Google was quoted in reports as saying that the majority of pop-up warnings are ignored, with less than 1% of all web notifications in Chrome receiving any user reaction. According to reports, Google stated in its announcement that it has already begun testing this capability.
According to test results, it significantly reduces notification overload while only slightly altering the overall number of notification clicks. Additionally, Chrome’s experiments show that websites with fewer notifications are actually receiving more clicks.
Chrome Users Can Remove Auto-Revocation Feature Completely
Chrome users still have the option to completely disable the auto-revocation feature. By going back to certain websites or changing permissions via Chrome’s Safety Check option, they can also allow notifications from those websites again. The feature is anticipated to be available to all users in a future browser update, though Google has not yet specified a precise rollout date.
The two most important factors for many consumers weighing Chrome against the competition will be which browser best protects their privacy and any new AI browsing enhancements, such as Chrome’s Gemini. For Chrome users, the news is less favourable on that front.
As the most popular browser in the world evolves, users will need to quickly become accustomed to a new level of tracking brought about by Google’s extremely unquiet Gemini update in Chrome.
Quick Shots
•Google Chrome introduces
auto-mute notifications for websites frequently ignored by users on Android
and desktop.
•Expands Chrome’s existing
feature that manages sensitive permissions like location and camera.
•Websites sending too many
alerts with low interaction will have notifications automatically disabled.
•Users can unsubscribe from
notifications with a single click or disable the auto-revocation feature
entirely.
•Reduces notification overload
while maintaining click-through rates; fewer notifications lead to more
engagement.
•Installed apps will continue
sending alerts as usual.
The President and CEO of Qualcomm, Cristiano R. Amon, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 October to talk about India’s progress in artificial intelligence, innovation, and skill development.
The Prime Minister conveyed gratitude for Qualcomm’s dedication to India’s AI and Semiconductor Missions. India has unparalleled talent and scale to develop innovations that will influence our shared destiny, he said.
Amon Thanked PM Modi for His Continuous Efforts in AI
Cristiano Amon expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for the insightful conversation about bolstering Qualcomm’s collaboration with India in support of the IndiaAI and India Semiconductor Missions, as well as the 6G transition. He emphasised how India might become a hub for AI smartphones, PCs, smart eyewear, the automotive and industrial sectors, and more.
“Talking about India’s advancements in AI, innovation, and skilling during our discussion with Mr Cristiano R. Amon was fantastic. It’s encouraging to see Qualcomm’s dedication to India’s AI and semiconductor initiatives,” PM said. He further explained in a post on X, stating, “India offers unparalleled talent and scale to build technologies that will shape our collective future.”
Amon Responded PM Modi’s Post
Cristiano Amon responded to PM Modi’s post by saying that the prospects for creating an Indian ecosystem in domains like AI cellphones, PCs, and smart eyewear are encouraging. “Thank you, Prime Minister @narendramodi, for the excellent discussion on expanding the collaboration between India and @Qualcomm to assist the IndiaAI and India Semiconductor Missions and the 6G transition.
The prospects for creating an Indian ecosystem including AI smartphones, PCs, smart eyewear, automobiles, industries, and more inspire us,” the CEO of Qualcomm stated. Walter Russell Mead, a distinguished fellow at the Hudson Institute, an American think tank, led a visiting US team of business leaders and thinkers that Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with earlier this week.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude for their role in “strengthening India-US ties and advancing our partnership for global peace, progress, and prosperity.”
Quick Shots
•PM Modi meets Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon on 11
October to discuss India’s AI, innovation, and skill development initiatives.
•Talks focused on bolstering Qualcomm’s
collaboration in these strategic programs.
•Discussion included India’s roadmap for
next-generation telecommunications.
•Qualcomm sees potential for AI smartphones, PCs,
smart eyewear, automotive, and industrial applications.
•Highlighted India’s talent and scale to drive
innovation that shapes the global future.
•Emphasized the prospects for building a robust
Indian ecosystem across AI and tech sectors.
Tuhin Kanta Pandey, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), announced on 11 October that the market watchdog is simplifying regulatory procedures to facilitate NRI investments in Indian equities markets. In order to eliminate the need for NRIs to return to India in order to fulfil know-your-customer (KYC) standards, the regulator is attempting to streamline the process.
At a function hosted by the Bombay Stock Exchange Brokers’ Forum on October 11, Pandey stated that SEBI has not yet created a simple and safe KYC access system for NRIs to enable their involvement in the securities market. This will be the regulating body’s first priority.
SEBI Collaborating with RBI and UIDAI
Pandey stated that SEBI is working with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to develop a system that would allow NRIs to complete their KYC verification over video conversations rather than needing to return home. Notably, there are more than 3.5 crore non-resident Indians (NRIs) worldwide, and India is the biggest beneficiary of remittances worldwide, with $135 billion received in FY25.
According to Pandey, SEBI’s “immediate goal” is to make the FPI registration process quick and easy by making it entirely portal-based, because the agency previously agreed in September to establish a single window for trusted foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) with less stringent compliance standards. In order to put it into effect, he continued, SEBI is already consulting its stakeholders.
When it comes to enabling registration, SEBI wants to be among the best in the world. To enable digital registration, SEBI, RBI, and the Income Tax Department would need to collaborate, according to Pandey, who characterised the project as a “process issue” rather than one resulting from hazards. Speaking to the broker community, Pandey stated that SEBI will finish revising broker laws by the end of December.
SEBI to Device Framework to Prevent Cybercrime
According to Pandey, SEBI will speak with market infrastructure organisations before issuing instructions on keeping an “air gap” in order to improve cybersecurity. He went on to say that SEBI has put in place a redundancy model for clearing corporations, which enables operations to continue without interruption in the event that one clearing corporation fails, and that market infrastructure institutions are being put to the test through live disaster recovery drills.
“As with stockbrokers, we are also looking at implementing a safety net at a depository participant in the event of an outage,” Pandey stated. He added that the data warehouse system has been redesigned to create new role-based alerts to detect fraudulent trades in bulk deals and identify pump-and-dump trends. He also mentioned that SEBI is moving from reactive supervision to predictive oversight in the surveillance space.
As per Pandey, high-frequency and algorithmic trading have grown significantly in recent years and now make up a sizable portion of volumes in the derivatives and equity markets.
Quick Shots
•SEBI
to simplify NRI investment norms to make it easier for Non-Resident Indians
to invest in Indian equity markets.
•NRIs
may soon be able to complete KYC verification via video calls, eliminating
the need to visit India.
•3.5
crore NRIs globally — India remains the top recipient of remittances at $135
billion in FY25.
•SEBI
aims to make foreign portfolio investment registration fully online and
faster.
This article has been contributed by Akansha Agarwal , Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, Int2Cruises
More Indians are now looking at cruises as a serious vacation option. Rising incomes, better awareness, and a wider choice of routes are making a huge difference. Cruise operators have also realised that the Indian traveller wants short, value-packed trips.
India has over 7,500 kilometres of coastline, 12 major ports, 200-plus minor ones, and 110 navigable waterways covering 20,000 kilometres. It is a natural setting for cruise tourism. For years, that potential sat untapped.
The Cruise Bharat Mission
Cruise Bharat Mission
The government has now started to act. The Cruise Bharat Mission, launched in 2024, is the centrepiece of this plan. The goal is to double annual cruise passengers, from 4.71 lakh in 2024, to close to a million by 2029. River cruise terminals will go up from 50 to 100. Sea cruise terminals will rise from 2 to 10. Marinas will increase from one to five. These changes will cut waiting times, improve passenger handling, and make India more appealing to global cruise operators.
And it is not just about sea cruises. The mission also looks at river cruises, harbour circuits, and island routes. Kerala’s backwaters, Ganga cruises, and the Andamans are already drawing interest, but with better facilities, they could attract far more domestic and foreign travellers.
Interest Is Rising, But Numbers Are Small
India’s outbound travel market is growing fast — about 11% a year — and spending could hit $55 billion by 2034. Nearly 77% of Indian cruisers prefer short trips of three to five nights, which is exactly what Asian cruise hubs already offer.
Yet, only 4.71 lakh Indians went on a cruise in FY2024. That is tiny compared to the potential. One big reason is the booking process. Flights and hotels can be booked in minutes, but cruise bookings are still clunky. Most travellers have to depend on agents, with little clarity on pricing or options.
This is slowly changing. With the help of digital platforms, travellers can seamlessly research itineraries, compare prices, and book online. For cruisers, this makes a big difference — planning becomes less intimidating and far more transparent.
Cruise tourism is not just about leisure. It has a wide economic footprint. By 2030, the sector is expected to add INR 35,500 crore to the economy and create around 2.5 lakh direct and indirect jobs.
Cruise arrivals translate into customers for restaurants, passengers for taxis, and sales for artisans. The government also earns through port charges, passenger taxes, and customs duties. Tourists spend on city tours, meals, and shopping, which gives a direct boost to local businesses.
When ports get modern terminals and smoother transport links, it is not just tourists who benefit. Local people also gain because travel becomes faster, public facilities improve, and cities become better connected. Daily commutes get easier, and residents enjoy the same upgraded infrastructure that was originally built for visitors. In fact, the small and medium businesses in nearby areas also find new opportunities through these developments.
Global Cruise Lines Are Watching
The Ultimate Travel Experience: Onboard Luxury Meets Local Adventure
International operators are showing interest in the deployment in Indian waters. For Indian travellers, these deployments would bring global experiences to our backyard. Indian travellers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, value experiences more than material purchases. This is because cruises offer facilities like spas, casinos, movie theatres, and waterslides, along with experiences like cultural performances, thus offering something for all age groups.
The real appeal, however, lies in the diverse shore excursions that offer authentic immersive experiences that include exploring spice markets and organic farms in Goa, canoe rides through Kerala’s backwaters or rides through coastal villages. Those with an appetite for adventure can opt for activities like snorkelling and scuba diving in the crystal-clear waters around Lakshadweep’s Agatti Island, coral reef exploration, and wildlife spotting in destinations like the Sundarbans. Cruising thus offers a combination of onboard luxury and destination-based experiential activities, making it the best choice for all travellers.
A Vision Taking Shape
The government’s Maritime Vision 2030 ties in closely with the Cruise Bharat Mission. The goal is to build a strong and sustainable maritime sector where ports, tourism, and logistics grow hand in hand. The emphasis is on expanding capacity for the future while making sure the environment is protected.
By 2035, India could rise and emerge as South Asia’s main cruise hub. This would mean more money from tourism, steady job creation across different sectors, and better business for local communities. It would also give the country a stronger place on the world stage, proving its ability to build a modern and sustainable cruise industry.
What Must Happen Now
The potential is huge, but what really counts is follow-through. Terminals need to be ready on time. Policies should stay friendly for investors. And cruise operators have to make booking easier while offering experiences that match what Indian travellers are looking for.
If government and industry work in sync, cruises could go from niche to mainstream within the decade. That would boost the economy, create jobs, and give Indians a new way to explore their own coastline and rivers.
