From Beacons to Landmarks:

1. At a Glance

• India's lighthouses still do their main job of guiding ships safely. They are now also being developed as heritage, museum and tourism sites [1].
• The legal basis is the Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021. It lets the Centre designate "heritage lighthouses" and develop them for educational, cultural and tourism purposes [3].
• The topic covers maritime heritage (Mahabalipuram, Lothal), new technology (solar, LED, AIS), the blue economy and Sagarmala-type coastal tourism. That makes it useful for Prelims and for GS-I and GS-III [1][5].

2. Why in the News

• PIB release of 10 Oct 2026: lighthouse visitors rose from about 4 lakh (2014) to 18.63 lakh (2024–25). 75 lighthouses have been developed as tourism sites, and a digital ticketing portal has been launched under DGLL [1].
• The 3rd Indian Lighthouse Festival was held in Visakhapatnam [8].
• DGLL hosted the 3rd IALA Council Meeting in Mumbai [9].

3. Background & Evolution

• Ancient roots: the Pallavas developed Mahabalipuram as a port in the 7th century AD, trading with Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean. A log fire guided ships [1].
• 1887: Mahabalipuram's first conventional lighthouse was set up on the roof of the Olakkaneeswar Temple, using a wick lamp in a 4th-order optic [1].
• 1927: the Lighthouse Act, 1927 governed lighthouses until 2021 [4].
• 2004: Mahabalipuram's light was changed to a cluster of three 150 W metal halide lamps [1].
• 2014: lighthouse tourism had about 4 lakh visitors [1][6].
• 2016: Samiyani Island (Gujarat) moved from an oil lamp to a solar electronic flasher, then to an LED lantern in 2016 [1].
• 2020: Mahabalipuram got a 236 W LED array, described as the first of its kind [1].
• 15 Mar 2021: the Marine Aids to Navigation Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha [3].
• 31 Jul 2021: it was enacted as Act No. 20 of 2021, repealing and replacing the Lighthouse Act, 1927 [4][12].
• 2021: Jodiya (Gujarat) was upgraded to a high-intensity LED lantern [1].
• 23 Sep 2023: the 1st Indian Lighthouse Festival ("Bharatiya Prakash Stambh Utsav") was held at Fort Aguada, Goa [6][7].
• Feb 2024: the PM dedicated 75 lighthouses with tourist facilities across 10 States/UTs, at an investment of ₹60 crore [6].
• 2023–24: 16 lakh visitors [6].
• 2024: the 2nd Lighthouse Festival opened with the "Lighthouse Tourism Conclave 2024" [10].
• Oct 2024: the Union Cabinet approved NMHC, Lothal [5].
• 2024–25: 18.63 lakh visitors [1].

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact
Nodal body	Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL), a subordinate office of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) [2]
Governing law	Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021 (No. 20 of 2021), which replaced the Lighthouse Act, 1927 [4][12]
Scope of the Act	Develops, maintains and manages aids to navigation; trains and certifies their operators; develops their historical, educational and cultural value [3][12]
Heritage lighthouse	The Centre may designate any aid to navigation under its control as a heritage lighthouse [3]
Coastline covered	11,098 km per DGLL; "over 11,000 km" per PIB [1][2]
Number of lighthouses	205 [1]
Tourism lighthouses	75, built for ₹60 crore in 10 States/UTs [1][6]
Examples	Mandvi, Dwarka (Gujarat); Tadri (Karnataka); Pamban (Tamil Nadu); Vizhinjam (Kerala) [1]
Lighthouse museums (7)	Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Alappuzha, Kannur, Muttom, Dwarka, Gopnath [1][13]
Power source	All lighthouses are solar-powered [1]
AIS	87 AIS shore stations on lighthouses. AIS is a ship- and shore-based data broadcast system under SOLAS [1]
Mahabalipuram tower	26 m, circular, stone masonry [1]
NMHC lighthouse museum	77 m, planned as the world's tallest lighthouse museum; ₹266.11 crore, funded by DGLL; design inspired by Mahabalipuram [1][5]
NMHC (whole complex)	Built by MoPSW. Estimated cost ₹4,500 crore. About 22,000 jobs (15,000 direct + 7,000 indirect) [5][14]
Other NMHC parts	5D Dome Theatre, Coastal States Pavilion, Museotel, Eco Resort, a Maritime Research Institute with the Indian Maritime University [1]

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic

• Footfall grew more than 4×, from 4 lakh to 18.63 lakh, between 2014 and 2024–25 [1].
• Benefits reach local hotels, restaurants, tour operators, transport, shops and artisans. The 75-lighthouse phase created 150 direct and 500 indirect jobs [1][6].
• NMHC is expected to create about 22,000 jobs [5].

Scientific / Technological

• Lights have moved from fire and oil to solar, then to electronic flashers and LED, as at Samiyani, Jodiya and Mahabalipuram [1].
• The 87 AIS stations fold lighthouses into a maritime domain awareness network, which helps navigation safety and traffic management [1].

Environmental

• Running all lighthouses on solar power cuts diesel use and supports renewable-energy goals [1].
• Tourism work is meant to protect environmental sustainability when private players are involved [6]. The risk is pressure on fragile coastal zones, which is a CRZ issue.

Historical / Cultural

• Projects present a maritime legacy that PIB puts at over five millennia and NMHC puts at 4,500 years [1][5].
• Mahabalipuram's 1887 lighthouse sits on a temple roof. Its living heritage is a mix of a Pallava port and colonial navigation [1].

Geopolitical / Strategic

• DGLL hosting the IALA Council Meeting strengthens India's standing in global navigation-standards bodies [9].
• India and Vietnam are working together on NMHC, which supports maritime-heritage diplomacy under Act East [11].

Legal / Administrative

• The 2021 Act replaced a colonial-era law and created a statutory "heritage lighthouse" category [3][4].
• The digital ticketing portal puts the visitor experience on one common DGLL platform [1].
• Private partners are brought in to meet international standards [6].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 2024–25: lighthouse footfall reached 18.63 lakh [1].
• 3rd Indian Lighthouse Festival held in Visakhapatnam [8].
• 3rd IALA Council Meeting hosted by DGLL in Mumbai [9].
• 10 Oct 2026: PIB feature on the DGLL digital ticketing portal, the 75 lighthouses, 87 AIS stations and progress on the NMHC lighthouse museum [1].
• The sources I found don't give exact dates for the Visakhapatnam festival or the IALA meeting. Check the PIB pages before quoting a date.

7. Prelims Hooks

• The Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021 (Act No. 20 of 2021) repealed the Lighthouse Act, 1927 [4][12].
• The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 15 March 2021 [3].
• The Act lets the Centre designate a "heritage lighthouse" for educational, cultural and tourism use [3].
• DGLL is a subordinate office under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways [2].
• India has 205 lighthouses, and all are solar-powered [1].
• 87 AIS shore stations sit on Indian lighthouses. AIS works under SOLAS [1].
• 75 lighthouses in 10 States/UTs were dedicated in February 2024 at ₹60 crore [6].
• Lighthouse visitors: about 4 lakh (2014) to 18.63 lakh (2024–25) [1].
• Seven lighthouse museums: Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Alappuzha, Kannur, Muttom, Dwarka, Gopnath [1].
• Mahabalipuram's first conventional lighthouse dates to 1887, on the Olakkaneeswar Temple [1].
• Mahabalipuram got a 236 W LED array in 2020, the first of its kind [1].
• NMHC Lothal will have a 77 m lighthouse museum, planned as the world's tallest, costing ₹266.11 crore and funded by DGLL [1][5].
• The 1st Indian Lighthouse Festival ("Bharatiya Prakash Stambh Utsav") was held at Fort Aguada, Goa, on 23 September 2023 [6][7].
• NMHC's Maritime Research Institute is being built with the Indian Maritime University [1].

8. What the Visitor Numbers Do and Don't Tell Us

• Most of the growth comes from more lighthouses opening, not more people at each one
• In 2014 about 4 lakh people visited lighthouses [1]. By February 2024, 75 lighthouses had tourist facilities [6].
• So the total went up partly because there were many more lighthouses to visit.

• The sources give no figures for each lighthouse. We cannot tell whether any single lighthouse is actually getting busier.

• "Fivefold" is a rounded-up claim

• At Festival 3.0 in Visakhapatnam, Sarbananda Sonowal spoke of a "fivefold rise in a decade" [17].

• The PIB figures go from 4 lakh to 18.63 lakh, which is about 4.7 times [1]. Quote the exact figures in an answer, not the slogan.

• Growth slowed right after the big push

• Visitors rose from 16 lakh in 2023–24 [6] to 18.63 lakh in 2024–25 [1]. That is only about 16% in one year.
• This happened even though 75 lighthouses were dedicated in February 2024 [6].

• Opening a viewing gallery brings first-time visitors. It does not by itself bring people back.

• A ticket count is not the same as local income

• Footfall (the number of visitors) counts tickets sold. It does not show how much each visitor spent, or how much of that reached local fishers, homestays or artisans.
• The 75-lighthouse phase cost ₹60 crore and created 150 direct jobs [6][1]. That is about ₹40 lakh of public money for each direct job, or about ₹9 lakh per job if you add the 500 indirect jobs.
• The figure of 22,000 jobs at NMHC is an estimate made when the project was approved. Nobody has counted those jobs yet [5].

9. The Private-Investment Plan That Became a Government-Funded One

• The first plan was for private developers to build and run the sites
• The Ministry of Shipping planned to develop 78 lighthouses as tourism centres in a first phase under PPP [15]. PPP (Public-Private Partnership) means a private company invests in and runs the project, while the government keeps ownership.

• DGLL invited an RFQ (Request for Qualifications, the first stage of bidding, used to shortlist companies) for Aguada, Chandrabhaga, Mahabalipuram, Kanyakumari, Muttom, Kadalur Point, Kanhoji Angre, Sunk Rock and Minicoy. It also issued an EOI (Expression of Interest) for 70 more [15].

• What actually got built was paid for with public money

• The 75 lighthouses dedicated in February 2024 were built with a ₹60 crore government investment [6].
• Private players now come in as partners to meet "international standards", not as the main investors [6].

• The sources do not say why the plan changed. That is a gap worth noting in an answer.

• Why a working lighthouse is a hard deal for a private investor

• Under the 2021 Act, heritage use comes on top of the lighthouse's job of guiding ships, not in place of it [3]. DGLL has to keep the light working, so it cannot hand over the tower or compound completely.
• Several of the lighthouses on offer stand on islands or rocks: Sunk Rock, Kanhoji Angre and Minicoy [15]. Bringing visitors there needs boats, jetties and safety arrangements.
• Little space, shared control and difficult access make it hard for a company to earn back its money.
• Exam lesson: any heritage PPP runs into this problem when the asset still has a public job to do.

10. Ship-Safety Money Is Paying for a Museum

• Where DGLL's money comes from

• The 2021 Act lets the Centre charge marine aids to navigation dues on ships [12]. These dues are fees ships pay for the lights, buoys and signals that keep them safe.

• Where part of it is going

• DGLL is funding the ₹266.11 crore lighthouse museum at NMHC, Lothal [1][5].

• So money collected from shipping for safety is paying for a culture and tourism building.

• It is legal, but it is a choice of priorities

• The Act lists developing the historical, educational and cultural value of lighthouses as one of its aims [3][12]. So the spending is allowed.
• The real question is about priorities. Every rupee spent on a museum is a rupee not spent on navigation upgrades such as more AIS stations or LED lanterns [1].
• Shipping companies pay these dues for navigation services. They have a fair claim to see how the money is split.

11. Should a Navigation Agency Run Tourism at All?

• The strongest objection
• DGLL is a technical body, and its job is ship safety.
• Its lighthouses now carry 87 AIS shore stations [1]. AIS stations pick up the automatic position signals that ships send out. They feed maritime domain awareness, which means knowing which ships are where along the coast.
• Bringing about 18 lakh visitors a year [1] into the same compounds as this security equipment mixes crowds with a sensitive asset.

• Looking after old buildings is a heritage skill. DGLL is an engineering organisation.

• The honest answer

• Parliament gave DGLL this job. The Bill passed the Lok Sabha on 22 March 2021 and the Rajya Sabha on 27 July 2021 [3].
• Only DGLL can do it. The Act lets the Centre declare heritage lighthouses only among aids to navigation under its own control [3]. Handing tourism to another ministry would split control of a light that still guides ships.

• Tourism gives old towers a use, and the digital ticketing portal gives them a source of income [1].

• What the objection gets right

• Security needs clear zones: visitor areas such as the gallery and museum must be kept apart from equipment rooms.
• Conservation needs real heritage skills. Mahabalipuram's lighthouse sits on the roof of the Olakkaneeswar Temple [1]. Normal civil works are not enough there.

12. What Should Happen Before the Next 25 Lighthouses

• DGLL should publish visitor and income data for each lighthouse
• The government plans to develop 25 more lighthouses [16].

• The digital ticketing portal already records every sale [1]. Publishing figures for each site would show which of the 75 are working before money goes into 25 more.

• MoPSW should explain why the 78-lighthouse PPP plan stalled, and design around it

• The PPP plan was announced, but the 75 sites were built with public money [15][6].

• Future deals could split the roles. The private partner runs the café, museum or boat service, and DGLL keeps the tower and the light.

• DGLL should bring in ASI expertise for towers on or near monuments

• The heritage lighthouse label comes from a shipping law [3], but some towers are part of older monuments, as at Mahabalipuram [1].

• Conservation plans for such towers need heritage experts, not only engineers.

• DGLL should show its museum spending separately in its accounts

• Showing the NMHC museum's ₹266.11 crore [1] as its own item makes the trade-off with navigation spending (funded by dues [12]) easy to see.

• DGLL should count local benefit, not just tickets

• The figure of 150 direct and 500 indirect jobs [6] should be checked on the ground as new sites open. Survey questions should cover what visitors spend locally and who earns it.

13. Anchors for Answers

• Data: Lighthouse visitors rose from about 4 lakh (2014) to 18.63 lakh (2024–25), about 4.7 times [1]. Visitors were 16 lakh in 2023–24, so growth in the last year was only about 16% [6].
• Data: 75 lighthouses were built for ₹60 crore of public money, with 150 direct and 500 indirect jobs. That is about ₹40 lakh per direct job [6][1].
• Data: DGLL is funding ₹266.11 crore for the NMHC lighthouse museum out of a ₹4,500 crore complex [1][5][14].
• Law/Case: Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021. It allows heritage lighthouse designation (on top of the navigation function) and the levy of marine aids to navigation dues on ships [3][12].
• Scheme: The earlier PPP plan for 78 tourism lighthouses (RFQ for the first sites, EOI for 70 more) was overtaken by government-funded development of 75 [15][6]. 25 more lighthouses are now proposed [16].

14. Mains Relevance

• GS-I: Indian culture, covering art forms, architecture and maritime heritage. Also salient features of Indian history, such as Harappan and Pallava maritime trade.
• GS-III: Infrastructure (ports, energy); effects of liberalisation on the economy (tourism, employment); science and technology applications; security of border and coastal areas (AIS, maritime domain awareness).
• GS-II (minor): government policies and interventions; replacing colonial-era laws.
• Possible questions: 1. India's lighthouses are moving from navigational aids to cultural landmarks. Discuss the potential and challenges of lighthouse tourism for India's coastal economy. (GS-III, 15 marks) 2. Trace India's maritime heritage from Lothal to Mahabalipuram. How can initiatives like the National Maritime Heritage Complex revive it? (GS-I, 15 marks) 3. Examine how the Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021 updates the colonial framework for maritime navigation and heritage. (GS-II/III, 10 marks)

15. Related Topics to Study Next

• Lothal and the Harappan dockyard: the historical reason NMHC is located there.
• Pallava architecture at Mahabalipuram: the Group of Monuments sits next to the lighthouse museum.
• Sagarmala Programme and Maritime India Vision: the wider MoPSW plan for ports and coastal tourism.
• SOLAS and the IMO: the international law behind AIS and safety of navigation.
• IALA: the global body where DGLL now plays a hosting role.
• Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification: the environmental limits on building tourism sites at the coast.
• Maritime Domain Awareness and coastal security after 26/11: the security use of AIS and the coastal radar chain.
• Blue Economy policy: tourism and heritage as parts of the ocean economy.

16. NCERT Concepts to Revise

• Lothal maritime heritage complex (History): The NMHC at Lothal houses the 77 m lighthouse museum funded by DGLL; it is a core project in the note.
• Lothal (History): Harappan port town that explains why India's maritime heritage complex and its lighthouse museum are sited there.
• Mamallapuram (History): Pallava port whose temple-roof lighthouse (1887) and LED upgrade anchor the heritage story and the Lothal-museum design.
• Public-private partnership (Economy): The earlier plan to develop 78 lighthouses through private investors, later replaced by government funding, rests on this model.
• Coastal Regulation Zone (Geography): Tourism development at lighthouses on fragile coasts is limited by CRZ rules; the note flags this environmental risk.
• Blue economy (Economy): Lighthouse tourism, shipping safety and maritime heritage are presented as parts of India's wider ocean-based economy.

17. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Ministry: DGLL comes under MoPSW, not the Ministry of Tourism or Culture [2].
• Law: the 2021 Act replaced the Lighthouse Act, 1927. Don't confuse it with the Merchant Shipping Act or the Indian Ports Act [4].
• Age of maritime heritage: NMHC sources say 4,500 years [5], while the 2026 PIB release says "over five millennia" [1]. Read the question wording carefully.
• Coastline length: DGLL uses 11,098 km [2]. Older textbooks give about 7,516.6 km under an earlier method. That older figure is not from a whitelisted source, so verify it.
• Costs: ₹266.11 crore is only the lighthouse museum, funded by DGLL. ₹4,500 crore is the whole NMHC. ₹60 crore is the 75-lighthouse tourism phase [1][5][6][14].