India's lighthouses are moving from navigational aids to cultural landmarks. Discuss the potential and challenges of lighthouse tourism for India's coastal economy.

The Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021 lets the Centre designate any aid to navigation as a "heritage lighthouse" for educational, cultural and tourism use, alongside its navigational role [3]. Visitor numbers rose from about 4 lakh (2014) to 18.63 lakh (2024–25) [1][2]. Lighthouses therefore show real promise for the coastal economy, but that promise is not yet proven.

Potential

• Local livelihoods: 75 lighthouses in 10 States/UTs were developed for ₹60 crore. They created 150 direct and 500 indirect jobs in homestays, eateries, transport and crafts [1].
• Heritage tourism: The 77 m lighthouse museum at NMHC, Lothal, draws on Mahabalipuram's design [2]. It links visitors to a 4,500-year maritime legacy. NMHC is expected to create about 22,000 jobs [4].
• Spreading tourism: Sites such as Dwarka, Pamban and Tadri bring visitors to less-visited coasts. This adds to coastal blue-economy development.
• Green and digital showcase: All 205 lighthouses are solar-powered [2]. A DGLL digital ticketing portal brings visitor services onto one platform [2].

Challenges

• Slowing growth: Visitors rose only about 16% after the February 2024 push, from 16 lakh to 18.63 lakh [1][2]. Much of the total growth comes from more sites opening. There is no data for individual lighthouses.
• Weak investor case: The earlier plan to develop 78 lighthouses under PPP gave way to public funding [5][1]. Private investors are put off because the lights still guide ships, control is shared, and many sites are on islands such as Sunk Rock and Minicoy [5].
• Security: Lighthouses host 87 AIS shore stations that feed maritime domain awareness [6]. Large crowds near this sensitive equipment raise security risks.
• Conservation and ecology: DGLL is an engineering body. It lacks heritage skills for towers linked to monuments, such as Mahabalipuram's temple-roof light [2]. Building on fragile coasts also tests CRZ limits.
• Priority trade-off: DGLL is spending ₹266.11 crore on the NMHC museum [2]. This moves a navigation agency's money towards culture.

Way forward

• DGLL should publish visitor and revenue data for each lighthouse before the planned 25 more are developed [7].
• Future PPPs could split roles: private partners run cafés, museums and boat services, while DGLL keeps the tower and the light.
• DGLL should partner with ASI on conservation and keep visitor areas separate from equipment rooms.

Lighthouse tourism adds heritage value, local jobs and a green image, but its numbers, funding model and security set-up need work. If it rests on transparent data and smart partnerships, India's beacons can anchor an inclusive blue economy, in line with SDG 14 and the Article 51A(f) duty to preserve heritage.