A larger vessel, a new manufacturing direction and a growing island network are shaping the next phase for Nautika, write Sahil Kesari and Niharika Singh
Nautika made its debut at TTF Mumbai 2026, signalling the company’s growing presence in India’s travel trade and its focus on the next phase of fleet and operational expansion. Held at the Jio World Convention Centre, BKC, from 20-22 August, the event connected Nautika with travel agents, tour operators and corporate travel buyers from Mumbai and western India. Operating across the Port Blair-Havelock-Neil Island circuit, Nautika has carried 25 lakh passengers across the Andaman archipelago in under four years, while its trade network has expanded to more than 2,000 travel agents.
Nautika Pride Takes Shape
The next development is Nautika Pride, a 400-seat catamaran that will add capacity to the existing fleet. Being built in Goa, Nautika Pride will be Nautika’s first vessel built in India. The company is preparing to bring the vessel into commercial operation around December or January. Nautika currently operates the 275-seat Nautika and 360-seat Nautika Pro. The larger capacity of Nautika Pride will allow the company to handle more passengers across its established inter-island routes. The company’s earlier vessels were designed and built through Singapore-based shipbuilding expertise, while Nautika Pride is being built in Goa. The move also sets the direction for future fleet additions, with greater emphasis expected on Indian shipyards and the Make in India approach.
Anoop Kumar, partner & Director of Nautika
A New Phase for Nautika
Nautika Pride is more than an addition to the fleet. Its arrival is expected to mark a new phase for the company, combining higher passenger capacity with the shift towards vessels built in India. The vessel will operate within Nautika’s existing island network rather than immediately opening new destinations. For the operator, this makes capacity a key part of the next stage as passenger movement continues to grow across the Andaman circuit.
Higher passenger capacity also brings operational challenges, particularly around boarding and passenger movement. Nautika has introduced QR-based scanning into its boarding process to reduce manual handling and improve the flow of passengers through the terminal. The move towards technology is focused less on changing the vessel itself and more on improving the processes around it. For an operator handling high passenger volumes during peak periods, faster passenger processing can become an important part of overall operational efficiency.
Focused on the Core Network
For now, Nautika remains focused on Port Blair, Havelock and Neil rather than rapidly expanding into new destinations. Havelock and Neil continue to form an important part of the inter-island tourism circuit, the May-July period presents more challenging sea and weather conditions, during which ferry operations can be affected and may have to be suspended. The addition of Nautika Pride therefore gives the company additional capacity within a network it already understands, rather than requiring an immediate change in its route strategy.
Strengthening the Western India Connect
TTF Mumbai also gave Nautika an opportunity to strengthen its engagement with the western Indian travel trade. During the three-day event, the company interacted with more than 300 travel professionals and initiated over 175 partnership discussions, with participation from Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Surat and Ahmedabad. The wider Andaman market has also recorded growth in visitor numbers. Domestic tourist arrivals to the islands increased from 3.23 lakh in 2023 to 7.10 lakh in 2024, while foreign arrivals increased from 9,025 to 11,497 during the same period. For Nautika, the next phase is taking shape around an existing network, a larger vessel and a different approach to fleet development. With Nautika Pride being built in Goa, the company is bringing Indian shipbuilding into its fleet while preparing for the next stage of its operations in the Andamans.
