The global merchant shipping fleet is expected to grow by 6.4 percent in the next five years. This is good news for India, which supplies nearly 10 percent of the 16-lakh global seafarers to the worldwide fleet and can increase its supply further.
India is home to the second-largest number of seafarers after the Philippines. However, it is not going to be easy for India as competition is severe not only from the Philippines but also from the Russian Federation, China, and Indonesia.
The government, industry, and maritime institutes should work together to promote seafaring and put more seafarers onboard the ships globally. At the start of 2021, the world merchant fleet made up of 74,505 ships across 11 main segments covered by the BIMCO ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2021.
This is projected to reach 79,282 by 2025 end. This means demand for qualified manpower is expected to go up by 1.40 lakhs, said a shipping expert.
