India's Maritime Sector
Economic Significance
India has the world's third-largest pool of maritime professionals. The Indian shipping sector is governed by the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, and overseen by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. India's maritime economy — ports, shipping, shipbuilding, and ancillary services — is a significant employment and foreign exchange earner.
- India has approximately 250,000 active seafarers and is the third-largest source nation of sailors globally.
- Indian seafarers remit significant foreign exchange earnings; maritime remittances are part of India's services exports.
- The Sagarmala Programme (2016) aims to modernise ports, develop coastal shipping, and create shipbuilding clusters.
- The Indian Navy maintains a Maritime Security Operations Centre (MSOC) for coordinating naval response to threats in India's maritime zones.
- India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends 200 nautical miles from its baseline and is one of the largest in the Indian Ocean region.
● Tracked since February 25, 2026 · last seen March 12, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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