India Emerges as World's Second-Largest Supplier of Seafarers

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 India has emerged as the world's second-largest supplier of seafarers, contributing 311,936 maritime professionals to the global shipping industry, according to the BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026. The report estimates that India now accounts for 12.16% of the global seafaring workforce, ranking behind only the Philippines and ahead of China, the Russian Federation and Indonesia.

The achievement marks one of the most remarkable transformations in the history of India's maritime sector. In 2015, India contributed only 5.2% of the world's seafarers and ranked fifth globally, behind China, the Philippines, Indonesia and the Russian Federation. Six years later, in 2021, India's share had grown modestly to 6%, though it continued to remain in fifth position. The latest BIMCO-ICS report for 2026, however, records a decisive breakthrough. India's global share has more than doubled over the past decade to 12.16%, propelling the country to second place worldwide and establishing it as one of the world's foremost providers of skilled maritime professionals.

India's strength is particularly evident in the officer cadre. The country now supplies 140,718 officers, accounting for 13.41% of the world's officer workforce, while 171,218 ratings represent 11.29% of the global ratings serving aboard merchant vessels. Overall, Indian seafarers today constitute one of the largest and most skilled maritime workforces supporting global trade.

The report estimates the global supply of seafarers at 2.57 million, while demand has reached 2.55 million, highlighting an increasingly tight global labour market. It also points to a continuing shortage of qualified officers worldwide, positioning India as a critical partner in meeting the shipping industry's future manpower requirements.

India's emergence as a global maritime manpower hub reflects more than a decade of sustained reforms under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Over the past twelve years, the Government has expanded maritime education and skilling, modernised training infrastructure, increased the capacity of maritime training institutes, digitised seafarer certification and regulatory services through the Directorate General of Shipping, strengthened compliance with international Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping (STCW), and enhanced the employability and global competitiveness of Indian seafarers.

PIB

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