On 19 November 2025, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways released the draft Inland Vessels (Special Category: Pleasure Craft and Canal Cruise Boats) Rules, 2025, marking a major regulatory step toward safer and better-governed inland water tourism in India. Issued under the Inland Vessels Act, 2021, these draft rules aim to regulate water sport crafts, houseboats, and canal cruise vessels that operate across India’s lakes, rivers, and canal systems.
The draft has been opened for public feedback for 30 days, allowing operators, tourism businesses, water sports agencies, state governments, and citizens to submit comments before final rules are notified.
Who Will These Rules Apply To?
These rules focus on two popular tourism and recreation vessel categories:
- Pleasure Crafts – Mechanized floating crafts under 10 meters used for boating, jet skiing, parasailing, water sports, and yachting.
- Canal Cruise Boats (Houseboats) – Vessels up to 30 meters in length, carrying up to 50 passengers, meant for tourism, accommodation, conferences, or private leisure.
They apply to these vessels operating within the inland waters of States, giving India its first unified safety and certification framework for recreational boating.
Key Features of the Proposed Rules
1. Consistency with Existing Inland Vessel Rules
The draft integrates with earlier regulations on registration, survey, insurance, prior approvals, and the central inland vessels database—ensuring uniformity across states.
2. Clear Safety, Design, and Construction Standards
The rules set out detailed criteria for the hull, structure, reinforcements, and materials such as marine-grade steel, aluminium, fiberglass, carbon fibre, HDPE, and more. Standards must comply with:
- Indian Standards
- Classification society norms
- Relevant international standards
This is especially important for high-speed pleasure crafts used for water sports.
Stability, buoyancy, and load line requirements must be certified to ensure vessels remain safe under expected conditions.
3. Mandatory Certification and Fitness Requirements
Every vessel must secure a Certificate of Fitness from the home State, after meeting:
- Structural and stability norms
- Safety equipment requirements
- Load line markings
- Survey and insurance documentation
Certificates may be renewed periodically, and vessels must comply with inspection norms. Notably, a valid certificate from one state will be accepted in all other States, enabling seamless interstate tourism operations.
4. Crew Training and Licensing
Owners must employ trained and certified crew. Certification will be provided by the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) or a government-designated authority. Training will cover:
- Navigation and manoeuvring
- Equipment handling
- Machinery maintenance
- First aid, lifesaving, and emergency response
This formalizes competency requirements for water sports operators, improving passenger safety.
5. Operational Restrictions and Safety Controls
The rules specify:
- Operations limited to fair weather and safe conditions
- Pleasure crafts must remain within visual range of the shore
- Canal cruise boats must remain within their approved area
- Vessels must comply with specified operational hours
These measures aim to minimize risk in unpredictable inland water environments.
6. Strong Compliance and Enforcement Mechanisms
A six-month compliance window is proposed for existing vessels. Non-compliance may result in:
- Rectification notices
- Suspension or cancellation of fitness certificates
- Penalties under Section 87 of the Inland Vessels Act
Surveyors are empowered to conduct inspections at any reasonable time.
A Major Step Toward Safer and Sustainable Water Tourism
With these draft rules, the Government underscores its intention to develop India’s inland water tourism in a safe, structured, and sustainable way—benefiting both operators and millions of domestic and international tourists.
Stakeholders can submit objections or suggestions to the Ministry within 30 days of the notification.