The long-term agreement with Indo-British family owned company, Assam Bengal Navigation, will bring together more than two decades of experience operating cruises on the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. 

The 44-passenger Scenic Aura will be the first Scenic ship to operate India river cruises next year. Scenic Aura’s debut season combines a 10-night Hooghly River cruise through West Bengal with land journeys across India and Sri Lanka.

The group said the "strong response" for Scenic Aura has encouraged it to grow its presence in India.

The Brahmaputra river will provide "a natural complement" to Scenic’s upcoming inaugural 2027-28 Hooghly River programme in West Bengal, starting in October 2027. 

Glen Moroney, Founder and Chair of Scenic Group, said: “India offers extraordinary potential for luxury river cruising. 

"Our partnership with Assam Bengal Navigation gives us the benefit of deep local expertise and an established operating platform, while allowing Scenic to bring its international experience in luxury cruising to the market."

He added: "Scenic Aura is the first step in what we expect will be a long-term commitment to India.”