India, April 21 -- The city's long-awaited International Cruise Terminal in Ballard Pier is finally ready for full-scale operations and will be inaugurated on Monday by Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Built at a cost of Rs.556 crore by the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA), the state-of-the-art terminal is expected to transform India's maritime tourism landscape.

Work on the terminal began in 2018 but faced multiple delays. Despite an initial deadline of July 2022, the project took longer due to funding and operational challenges. The facility is part of a public-private partnership model, with private operators Ballard Pier Port Private Limited and J M Baxi & Co managing day-to-day operations. MbPA has signed a 30-year concession...