the goan I network
MARGAO
There’s good news in store for young Indians, including Goans, intending to make seafaring as a career.
If Additional Director of Shipping Amitabh Kumar is to be believed, India, with its huge demographic advantage, will dominate the supply of seafarers to the international shipping industry for a long time to come.
He, however, emphasized on the need for young seafarers to acquire the training and skills required to man automated vessels. Kumar also referred to Government of India’s Sagarmala project, saying it will further give a huge boost to the maritime sector in the years to come.
Speaking at the foundation day of the Maritime Union of India at a starred resort at Varca, Kumar said the population of Indian seafarers has registered a big increase in the last four to five years. “We had around 1.10 lakh seafarers in 2014 and the figure has only grown to 1.54 lakh in 2017 and has today touched an unprecedented figure of 1.79 lakh,” he told the gathering.
The Additional Director of Shipping further pointed out that almost 50 per cent of the workforce supplied to the shipping industry from Asia will come from India by 2022. “This will be mainly because of the Indian demography as the average age of Indian population will be around 28 years in the next five years as compared to 36 years in the USA and 46 years in other European countries. This will give India a huge advantage in respect of shipping manpower and we have to tap this advantage and occupy a pre-eminent position in the shipping sector,” he said.
Saying that the seafarers are the diplomats of the country, he said they occupy an important place in the country’s maritime sector.
Referring to the Sagarmala project, Kumar said the project consists of four parts, including port modernisation, creation of new ports, ensuring port linked connectivity and coastal skill development. “For the first time in history, huge investment has been planned by the government for port upgradation and creation of new ports. New berths are being constructed and all major ports are being modernized. There will be new terminals in place and the project has mulled LNG and CNG developments at the ports to meet the future power requirements of the country,” he added.
Dave Heindel, Seafarers’ Section, Chair, ITF London was also present.
