Now Reading: India overtakes China in merchant navy officers with 27% edge
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India overtakes China in merchant navy officers with 27% edge
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…
The Story in Brief
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).
The Indian Opinion
The pride in topping China in officer supply is tempered by a hard fact: India still trails the Philippines overall, and salaries have barely budged for years. The rupee's fall makes dollar earnings attractive now, but that is a fragile advantage. The real test is whether India can train enough officers to meet a projected global shortage without compromising on safety or working conditions. Numbers aside, will the next BIMCO report show India closing the ratings gap too, or does the country remain content with a lopsided lead?
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
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