Cochin Shipyard Subsidiary Bags Order for Two Luxury Cruise Vessels from Antara

26 Jun 2025 , 08:59 AM

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), a government-owned shipbuilding firm, has announced that its subsidiary Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited (Hooghly CSL) has secured a high-value order from Heritage River Journeys Pvt. Ltd., which operates under the luxury cruise brand Antara River Cruises.

One contract has been signed, and another is in the pipeline, backed by a letter of intent. The value of both is expected to fall somewhere between ₹100 crore and ₹250 crore.

The Brahmaputra segment is a new addition to Antara’s lineup, which already includes cruise routes along the Ganges and the Padma. Ganga Vilas, its flagship cruise, has been widely publicised as the world’s longest river journey crossing 27 rivers over more than 3,000 km and has earned a place in the Limca Book of Records.

These two new vessels are part of a broader strategy to grow inland river tourism, a space that has quietly gained momentum in recent years, especially with interest picking up in the Northeast.

Cochin Shipyard has clarified that this order has no connection to any promoter group or affiliate company, ruling out the possibility of a related-party transaction. The contract is also in line with current regulatory disclosures, with no deviation from SEBI’s latest circulars on public company reporting.

For Hooghly Cochin Shipyard, which has largely focused on ferries and utility vessels, this marks a move toward more bespoke, tourism-driven projects an area that could evolve into a steady revenue stream as the luxury travel segment deepens. While cruise tourism on Indian rivers is still niche, the interest from private players like Antara hints at where the sector could be heading.

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