Indian seafarers’ share of global demand is expected to rise to 20 percent in 10 years

NEW DELHI: Indian seafarers’ share of total global demand is set to rise from 8 percent today to 20 percent over the next 10 years, thanks in part to a robust education system, language skills and a young population, an industry insider said.

In addition, with the development of coastal trade and cruise tourism in India, many more Indian seafarers are needed to meet the demand of ship owners Vinay Singh, Group Managing Director Marine HR at Anglo-Eastern Group.

India is one of the main suppliers of a skilled maritime workforce to the shipping industry worldwide.

Hong Kong-based ship management giant Anglo-Eastern, a major recruiter of Indian seafarers aboard merchant marine vessels worldwide, announced plans in February this year to add 1,000 Indian seafarers to its existing pool.

Foreign shipowners’ demand for skilled Indian seafarers is expected to grow phenomenally in the coming years, largely due to the aging seafarer population in Europe, and the share of Indian seafarers is expected to grow to as much as 20 percent of the global market in the next 10 years, Singh said in a statement before the National Maritime Day.

National Maritime Day is celebrated every year on April 5th in India to commemorate the maiden voyage of the first Indian flagged merchant ship, the SS Loyalty, from Mumbai to London on that day in 1919.

“Many foreign shipowners have also started recruiting highly skilled Indian seafarers during the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict,” he said.

According to him, India’s share of the world’s seafaring population is only about 8 percent, while the country’s population accounts for 18 percent of the world’s population.

“At India @ 75, it’s time for India to increase its global share of the seafaring population as it has all the right ingredients like a robust education system, language skills and a young population,” he added.