Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Union Minister, highlighted the contribution of the country’s seafarers in making India self-reliant, and keeping the global supply chain operational during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the minister, during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, more than 2 million Indian seafarers were serving on foreign and Indian vessels last year. This is why the global and Indian trade and commerce activities were not impacted.
The minister also mentioned that India managed to set a great example for the world. He expressed his confidence that the country will lead the world through the maritime sector in the next years, adding also that the Indian cruise industry is growing very much thanks to the government’s interventions and initiatives.
As informed, by the next decade, India’s cruise market is likely to increase by 8 times due to the rising disposable incomes and demand. The minister congratulated the maritime fraternity stakeholders on the 59th National Maritime Day.
As described, the share of Indian seafarers has reportedly risen by 25% between 2016 and 2019. The Minister stressed that in 2014, 1,17,090 seafarers were employed in India and this number rose to 2, 05,789 in about seven years. As of now, India targets to further increase seafaring share from 12% of the world market and reach 20% by 2030.
