Mumbai is launching a fleet of electric hydrofoil ferries to solve the city’s rush-hour gridlock. A fleet of 11 hydrofoil P-12 commuter ferries from Swedish shipbuilder Candela will form the nucleus of the city’s electric transport network, set to eventually include thousands of vessels. The ferries have been ordered by Mumbai-based operator JalVimana.

Mumbai, India’s financial capital, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. The government of Maharashtra state plans to revolutionise transport in the megacity by using the sea. With over 23 million residents and overstretched roads, the state’s ports minister Nitesh Rane and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis have recently announced that thousands of electric ferries will transform Mumbai’s waterways into high-speed arteries for clean, efficient transport.

In Stockholm, during an official visit by India’s minister of commerce Mr Piyush Goyal on board Candela’s vessels, Candela’s CEO Gustav Hasselskog and Mumbai-based operator JalVimana’s CEO Niraj Thakur announced that JalVimana has purchased and will operate an initial fleet of 11 P-12 vessels with plans to grow significantly bigger.

The Candela P-12 uses computer-guided underwater wings to raise its hull above the water. This cuts energy consumption, eliminates wake and slamming, and enables it to run silently, safely, and at a fraction of the operating cost of conventional diesel vessels.

The sale represents the largest single electric fleet in the world so far and will play a pivotal role in establishing Mumbai as a global leader in sustainable urban water transport. Mumbai is an ever-expanding city, which is partly built around a large bay. The first Candela P-12 vessels in Mumbai will serve two of the city’s most heavily trafficked routes on water: between the Gateway of India and Alibaug — a journey that typically takes 2–3 hours by car — and from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island. Another line is being planned by JalVimana to connect the new airport with central Mumbai, with expected travel times reduced from 1 hour and 30 minutes to less than 30 minutes.

Following its debut in Stockholm in late 2024, where it slashed commute times and eliminated emissions, the P-12 has proven that electric ferries can be a transformative part of urban mobility — not just in Scandinavia, but globally.

“This is a groundbreaking project that unlocks the full potential of Mumbai’s waterways for efficient commuting — and by investing in hydrofoil technology, the city is leapfrogging legacy waterborne transport systems,” said Gustav Hasselskog.

“We believe Candela’s next-generation P-12 will be a giant leap for Mumbai and towards our national goals of a susainable future for our vast Indian coastline and inland waterways. JalVimana is honoured to bring this Swedish gift to our ancient shores”, said JalVimana’s CEO, Niraj Thakur.