India Celebrates 58th National Maritime Day

Mr. Stéphane Ouellette, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Merchant Navy Commemorative Theme Project (MNCTP), observed National Maritime Day in India.

National Maritime Day in India is celebrated every April 5 to promote safe and environmentally sound intercontinental commerce. This day also focuses on defending and preserving the maritime zone of India.

Shipping is paramount to international security and defense, and to the global economy. This special day aims to engage and build an understanding of the system of human relationships that bind shipping, ports, and global society into a cohesive whole. Fostering partnership-building opportunities among nations, ports, seafarers, and ship operators is critical to successfully maintaining and enhancing the safety, security, and efficiency of the maritime transportation system.

The first Indian National Maritime Day was celebrated on April 5, 1964. This was to mark the maiden voyage of the merchant vessel S.S. Loyalty that sailed from Mumbai to London, on April 5, 1919.

The S.S. Loyalty was the first ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd, and the first Indian flagged merchant vessel to journey to the United Kingdom. The S.S. Loyalty paved the way for the creation of the Indian national shipping company named The Shipping Corporation of India.

In the modern era, the Indian shipping industry plays an important role in its economy, whereas nearly 90% of the country’s international trade is conducted by sea. India has approximately 1,071 ships, with 722 coastal, and 349 overseas ships.

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“Seafaring remains one of the most perilous and indispensable jobs on Earth. It is the world’s most important and widespread concentrated ‘human effort’ that is essential to ensuring security, defense, and prosperity for our global society. It is high time that we demonstrate our gratitude to our brave mariners for the risks and personal costs to life they face at sea, so that we may continue to enjoy our life on shore.” – Stéphane Ouellette, President and CEO, MNCTP.

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways celebrated 58th National Maritime Day in commemoration of the maiden voyage of the first Indian flag merchant vessel ‘S.S.LOYALTY’ (Owned by M/s. Scindia Steam Navigation Company), from Mumbai to London, on the 5th April 1919. The theme of National Maritime Day is ‘Sustainable Shipping beyond COVID-19’ on the lines of ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ initiative of the Government of India.

On the occasion of the celebration of the National Maritime Day, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State(I/C) for Ports, Shipping and Waterways congratulated the maritime community and appreciated their hard work, zeal and courage and role played in the times of the COVID pandemic. Shri Mandaviya said that Maritime India Vision-2030, recently launched by Prime Minister of India, is the comprehensive vision of the next decade for the maritime the sector of India and with a focused approach, the Indian maritime sector will be strong, technologically advanced and Aatma Nirabhar soon.

National Maritime Day - celebration — Image Credits: @mansukhmandviya – Twitter

Shri Mandaviya concluded with a positive note and said, ‘India is changing, India is racing ahead, New India is being built like we were the Maritime leader in the past, India will lead the world again through the maritime sector’.

Shri Mandaviya launched the e-magazine as a souvenir for the 58th National Maritime Day and presented awards instituted by National Maritime Day Celebration Committee, which is headed by Director General of Shipping.

Dr Sanjeev Ranjan, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said that the Maritime community has played animportant role in the CoVID times and added that Ministry is working tirelessly working towards bringing progressive policy changes to give India a leadership place in the global maritime community.

On this occasion, Senior officials of the Ministry, DG Shipping, officials of the Shipping Corporation of India, Port officials and representative of the Maritime community were present via video conferencing.

Reference: alliedmerchantnavy.com | pib.gov.in