New Delhi, Sep 26 (NationPress) India’s seafarer workforce has expanded significantly from 1.25 lakh a decade ago to over three lakh today, positioning the nation among the top three global suppliers of trained seafarers, stated Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, during a recent address.

This growth opens up vast avenues in navigation, ship operations, logistics, and related maritime industries, both domestically and internationally, he emphasized while speaking at the 10th convocation of the Indian Maritime University (IMU) in Chennai.

The event underscored the significant transformation of India’s maritime domain under the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the new employment prospects available for young entrants in the field, Sonowal remarked.

This week, the Union Cabinet, led by PM Modi, endorsed a comprehensive initiative worth Rs 69,725 crore aimed at revitalizing India’s shipbuilding and maritime ecosystem. This initiative is anticipated to unlock 4.5 million gross tonnage of shipbuilding capacity, create nearly 30 lakh jobs, and attract around Rs 4.5 lakh crore in investments into India’s maritime sector.

While congratulating the 2,196 graduating students at IMU, Sonowal stated: "You are entering a sector that has been revitalized over the past decade and is crucial to India’s economic, strategic, and global ambitions."

He further noted, "Careers in shipping, ports, shipbuilding, logistics, research, and green maritime technologies have never been more diverse or in demand as we aim to become one of the global leaders in the maritime sector under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Since 2014, India’s ports have experienced extensive modernization and mechanization, achieving a turnaround time of just 0.9 days, outperforming ports in advanced maritime nations such as the US, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, and Singapore.

Currently, nine Indian ports rank among the top 100 globally. The Vadhavan port, under construction with an investment of Rs 76,000 crore, is set to become one of the world’s largest container ports.

Cargo movement via inland waterways has surged sevenfold, and coastal shipping volumes have increased over 150 percent in the last decade.

The ‘Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’ outlines a long-term strategy for India’s maritime revival, with investments totaling Rs 80 lakh crore directed towards port infrastructure, coastal shipping, inland waterways, shipbuilding, and green shipping initiatives.

The government has initiated green corridors, established green hydrogen bunkering at major ports, and promoted methanol-fuelled vessels to foster sustainable maritime operations.

According to the minister, "These transformative measures are projected to generate 25–30 lakh direct and indirect jobs in shipbuilding, ports, shipping, logistics, and allied industries."