# India overtakes China in merchant navy officers with 27% edge 2026-08-09T02:16:59+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet India has surpassed China in supplying merchant shipping officers, with 140,718 Indian officers against China's 110,893, says the BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026. Combined with ratings, India has 311,936 seafarers, second only to the Philippines. M Angamuthu, chairman of Mumbai Port Authority, credited Indian officers for their technical skills and English fluency. Captain Sauhard Nautiyal noted that the rupee's fall against the dollar has boosted take-home pay, even as salary hikes have stalled for years. Entry-level officers earn about $3,000 (Rs 2.85 lakh) a month; senior masters on oil tankers get at least $15,000 (Rs 14.3 lakh). ## Coverage - economictimes.indiatimes.com Tags: global workforce, India-China, maritime industry, merchant navy, seafarers, shipping Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-overtakes-china-in-merchant-navy-officers-by-27/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-overtakes-china-in-merchant-navy-officers-by-27/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.