HCSL Wins Antara Order for Two Luxury River Cruise Vessels
Antara River Cruises had previously contracted HCSL for two vessels intended for the Brahmaputra River, while routes for the newly ordered pair have not been announced.
Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited (HCSL) has secured a follow-up order from Heritage River Journeys Private Limited for two luxury inland river cruise vessels. Delivery is scheduled for June 2029 and June 2030, according to stock-exchange filings by parent company Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).
CSL classified the award as a “significant” order, placing its value between INR1 billion and INR2.5 billion, or approximately US$10.3 million to US$25.8 million. The precise contract price was not disclosed.
The buyer, which operates under the Antara River Cruises brand, previously signed agreements with HCSL for two other luxury river cruise ships. In June 2025, the parties executed a construction contract for the first vessel and a letter of intent for the second. The second vessel’s construction contract followed in December that year.
Those earlier ships were intended to operate on the Brahmaputra River. Operational routes for the newly ordered pair have not been announced.
HCSL operates facilities at Nazirgunge and Salkia in Howrah, West Bengal. Its modernized Nazirgunge yard concentrates on inland, coastal and smaller sea-going vessels, with riverfront infrastructure that supports side launching of ships up to 110 metres long.
Technical specifications for the new vessels have not been disclosed, nor has it been confirmed whether they will share the specifications of the ships contracted in 2025.
