Puri, Nov. 3 -- Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday said the government aims to double the share of coastal and inland waterway shipping in India's freight movement from the current 6 per cent to 12 per cent by 2047, while targeting one million sea cruise passengers by 2029.

The targets are part of two proposed initiatives, the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme and the Cruise Bharat Mission, outlined by Sonowal at a meeting of the ministry's Consultative Committee on strengthening coastal and cruise shipping in Puri, Odisha.

Sonowal also announced that the Puri International Cruise Terminal will be developed by the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) in partnership with the Odisha government, at an estim...