At Rishikesh, you can purchase new rafts or equipment, but starting your own river rafting company involves a detailed process. To understand this better, we first need to know about raft numbers and the necessary equipment.
What is a Raft Number?
A Raft Number is a unique identification number assigned to every raft by the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, similar to vehicle registration numbers issued by the RTO (Regional Transport Office).
Example: A typical raft number looks like UT-123, where UT stands for Uttarakhand Tourism, and the 123 represents the serial number of the raft.
Registration Process (2000-2010)
Between 2000 and 2010, when there were limited rafting operators, obtaining a raft number was straightforward. Applicants needed to meet certain requirements and submit specific documents.
Requirements for Starting a River Rafting Company:
Equipment Needed:
- 2 Rafts
- 2 Throw Bags
- 2 First Aid Kits
- 18 Paddles + 2 Guide Paddles
- 16 Helmets
- 16 Life Jackets
- 2 Flip Lines with Carabiners
- 2 Dry Bags
- 2 Rescue/Throw Bags
You can read the details about this equipment here.
Required Documents:
- Office Electricity Bill
- Aadhar & PAN Card
- River Guide License
- Raft and Equipment Documents (Billing and Insurance)
- Office Address Proof
Once you provided these documents and filled out the necessary forms, the next step was verification. A team from Uttarakhand Tourism would inspect your equipment and documents. Upon successful verification, you would receive the Uttarakhand Travel Trade License and a Rafting Company Registration Certificate. This granted permission to operate rafting services on the Ganga River from Devprayag to Rishikesh, valid from September 1st to June 30th of the following year. This permit required annual renewal.
Here is a copy of the Travel trade registration certificate –
Changes After 2010
Post-2010, river rafting in Rishikesh saw a surge in popularity. Many river guides aspired to own their own companies, leading to a significant increase in applications. As a result, Uttarakhand Tourism issued over 900-1000 raft numbers, causing congestion on the river and overcrowding on the narrow roads of Rishikesh, particularly during peak seasons (March to June).
Due to this overcrowding, Uttarakhand Tourism decided to limit the issuance of new raft numbers. As of now, no new river rafting companies or raft numbers can be registered for the Devprayag to Rishikesh section of the Ganga River. if you want to register your company for Bhagirthi or Alaknanada river that can be done but for Ganga it is too crowded now.
How to Start a Rafting Company Today
Despite the restrictions, there are still ways to own a rafting company:
- Purchase an Existing Business:
You can buy a registered rafting company, complete with raft numbers and equipment, from an existing operator. you can get the list of river rafting owners at the Uttrakhand tourism website at the Travel trade registration section and then contact to each owner to deal with them.
- Rent Equipment and Raft Numbers:
Another option is to rent equipment and raft numbers from an established rafting operator. On average, the cost for renting 2 rafts with equipment and registration is around 8-10 lakhs per year.
Click here to check the list of Ragister River rafting companies in Rishikesh at the Offical page of Uttrakhand Tourism you can use a filter for more specific details.
Some of the business owners do some unethical practices like using 2 boats of the same number or using random numbers of boats/rafts to make money which is totally illegal. but there are some loopholes to identify these people and rafts which is why sometimes prices get to much height or lower than the standard price.
Conclusion
The strict regulations and limited supply of raft numbers have made it challenging to start a new river rafting company in Rishikesh. However, by either purchasing or renting from existing operators, you can still enter this exciting business and contribute to the adventure tourism industry in this beautiful region.
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