Press Information Bureau

Mumbai, 26 August 2025

 

The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, successfully organized a landmark Knowledge Sharing Conference on the occasion of its 75th Anniversary in Mumbai.

The conference was inaugurated with an address by Vice Chancellor, Indian Maritime University, Dr. Malini V. Shankar, IAS, who underscored the pivotal role of maritime education in shaping a future-ready workforce. A key highlight of the inaugural session was the launch and presentation of the STCW Nautical and Engineering Reports and the Comprehensive Inspection Programme (CIP) Report 2025. These reports provided an in-depth analysis of training standards, competency frameworks, inspection mechanisms and future requirements to align Indian seafarer training and ship inspections with global benchmarks of safety, compliance and technological preparedness.

Delivering the keynote address, Director General of Shipping, Shri Shyam Jagannathan, IAS, emphasized India’s responsibility to strengthen its leadership in the global maritime sector through innovation, digital transformation, and a people-centric training ecosystem. He noted that India’s seafarers are among the finest in the world and stressed the need to empower them with world-class training, technology and resilience. “This conference marks the beginning of a new chapter where safety, sustainability, and skills will define India’s maritime leadership,” he stated.

The day-long conference featured three thematic sessions that brought together a distinguished group of moderators and speakers. The first session, titled Evolving Role of Maritime Institutions, explored ways of integrating skills, sensitivity and sustainability into seafarer training. It featured insights from Vice Chancellor, Indian Maritime University & Former Director General of Shipping, Dr. Malini V. Shankar, IAS, Senior Marine Manager (Crewing & Training), International Chamber of Shipping, Capt. Arvind Natrajan, Principal, Great Eastern Institute of Maritime Studies, Capt. Subroto Khan, Deputy Chief Surveyor, DG Shipping, Shri Praveen Nair, and Deputy Director General (Training), DG Shipping, Shri Deependra Singh Bisen.

The second session, Future-Proofing Seafarers, focused on transforming training for competence, confidence, and compliance. The session drew contributions from CEO, Maritime Knowledge Limited, MarinePALS, Hong Kong, Capt. Pradeep Chawla, General Manager & Dean, Fleet Management Training Institute, Capt. Viraf Chichgar, Director (I/c), IMU Mumbai Port Campus (LBS CAMSAR & MERI), Capt. Sunil Chand Panigrahy, Chair, SGMF Ammonia Working Group & Lead Expert, Maritime Just Transition Task Force, Shri Prasad Nayak and Regional Director – Placements, AMET University, Shri Anand Tripathi.

The third session, Beyond the Horizon: From Sea to Shore, discussed the expansion of career pathways for maritime professionals. The session featured interventions from CEO & Co-Founder, ShipsKart, Capt. Dhruv Sawhney, General Manager, Anglo-Eastern, Shri Mahesh Subramaniam, CEO, Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training, Dr. Sanjeev Vakil, Founder & CEO, Sea and Beyond, Capt. Gaurav Rana and President, World Maritime University India Alumni Association & CEO, J. M. Baxi Marine Services, Shri Rajnish Khandelwal.

The deliberations across the three sessions provided an invaluable networking platform for industry professionals, academicians, and policymakers to align on a common vision of positioning India as a global hub for maritime training and technology. Speaking at the valedictory session, Nautical Surveyor-cum-Deputy Director General (Tech), DG Shipping, Capt. Ravi Singh Sikarwar, summarized the discussions and reaffirmed DG Shipping’s commitment to fostering a risk-ready, sustainable, and technologically advanced maritime ecosystem. The event brought together eminent leaders, global maritime experts, policymakers and industry stakeholders to deliberate on the future of maritime safety, training and sustainability.

The conference concluded on a high note, with delegates acknowledging the event as a milestone in knowledge exchange, policy dialogue and collaborative action for shaping India’s maritime future.

 

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PIB Mumbai | Edgar Coelho/Darshana Rane

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