On 11 January 2018, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, Nitin Gadkari, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis laid the foundation stone for an international cruise terminal in Mumbai.
The terminal is spread over 4.15 lakh sq ft and will entail an investment of Rs 300 crore. It is expected to be ready by 2019.
The new terminal will have restaurants, retail spaces and will be open to local citizens for recreation, leisure and shopping. There will also be separate lounges for arrival and departure.
The project will be undertaken in two phases, wherein by the end of 2018, the terminal will be able to cater to 2,00,000 passengers. Post completion by the end of 2019, the new terminal will cater to more than 7,00,000 passengers.
The operations and maintenance (O&M) of the terminal will be carried out on a public-private partnership (PPP) model. MbPT plans to issue tenders inviting bids for O&M in a month from now.