Luxury river cruising in India is about to get a serious upgrade. Scenic Group, the Australian ultra-luxury cruise operator, has signed a long-term partnership with Assam Bengal Navigation (ABN), a company with more than 20 years of experience running river cruises on the Brahmaputra and the Ganges. The deal puts Scenic on the Brahmaputra for the first time and commits it to having two ultra-luxury ships operating in India by the 2029-30 season.
Why the Brahmaputra? The river winds through Assam in India's northeast, a corner of the country most foreign visitors never see. Cruising there opens up remote riverside villages, wildlife-rich national parks and cultural traditions that feel a world away from the Golden Triangle circuit. For Scenic, it's a natural pairing with its upcoming Hooghly River programme in West Bengal, giving the brand two very different Indian river experiences.
The partnership was sealed at a meeting in Delhi between Scenic founder Glen Moroney, ABN's founder and managing director Ashish Phookan, and Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways — a sign the Indian government is actively backing river cruising as a tourism growth area.
The first taste of Scenic's India plans comes sooner, though. Scenic Aura, a boutique ship carrying just 44 guests, launches on the Hooghly River in October 2027. The 2027-28 season pairs a 10-night cruise through West Bengal with land journeys across India and Sri Lanka, taking in cities, sacred sites, palaces and artisan communities in Scenic's all-inclusive style. Interest has reportedly been so strong that only limited cabins remain for the inaugural season, and travellers are being urged to book early. Pre-registration is open for priority booking on the future Brahmaputra programme.
For travellers, this matters on two levels. If you fancy being on the Hooghly in 2027, the window to secure a cabin is closing fast — and small ships of this size sell out quickly. If the Brahmaputra appeals more, getting your name on the pre-registration list now could mean first pick of departures when itineraries are announced. Either way, India is joining the Mekong, the Nile and the Danube as rivers worth considering for a cruise that trades big-ship entertainment for genuine cultural access.
