Hyderabad: National Maritime Day is celebrated on 5 April every year in India and on Friday, the country will celebrate its 61st National Maritime Day.
This day is celebrated to remember and honour the country's maritime history, heritage and the salience of the Indian maritime sector which plays a crucial role in international trade, transportation, culture exchange and its significant contributions to our national GDP.
In India's navigation path, a history was created when SS Loyalty, the first ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd ventured into international waters on her maiden voyage from Mumbai to London (United Kingdom) on this day in 1919. This was a crucial step in India's shipping history when sea routes were controlled by the British.
This played a key role in the emergence of India's maritime sector and visionary industrialist Walchand Hirachand Doshi, popularly known as Seth Walchand is credited for it as the historic voyage of the first Indian ship, 'SS Loyalty' was personally overseen by him.
On 5 April 1964, the first National Maritime Day (NMD) was observed in the country. Since then, it has been observed every year on the same date with celebrations held across the country's major and minor ports.
This day is also celebrated to spread awareness about the salience of India's maritime sector, it's crucial contributions and the challenges that it faces.
The NMD Award of Excellence given by Directorate General of Shipping, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is given to the senior officials for their contributions in developing the maritime sector. They also urged the younger generation to come forward and join the sector.
Last month on 29 March, Gearing up for a weeklong celebration of NMD starting April 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honored with the 'Merchant Navy Flag'.
The significance of this celebration lies in honoring the services of seafarers and commemorating a proud moment in India's maritime history. The National Maritime Week, spanning from March 29, 2024, to April 5, 2024, pays tribute to the invaluable contributions of seafarers.
NMD Celebrations are held across the country, spanning major ports such as Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kandla, Visakhapatnam, as well as intermediary, minor, and inland water ports in various states and Union Territories.
These event serves as a focal point for commemorating the achievements of our maritime industry and paying homage to the courageous sailors who have served our nation with unwavering dedication.
It is pertinent to note here that over the last 9 years, the number of seafarers has increased by 140%. In 2014, the total count of active Indian Seafarers was 117,090 which are 280,000 in 2023.
Under the Maritime India Vision 2030, India aspires to emerge as a premier seafaring nation by establishing world-class standards in education, research, and training within the maritime sector.
India is a signatory to both the the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). Indian seafarers occupy 12% of international seafaring jobs, and the Maritime Vision 2030 recommends that this figure reach 20% by 2030.
