Shipping plays a vital role in India with a vast coastline of about 7516.6 km and over 2 million sq.km of exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
About 95% of the india's trade volume (68% in terms of value) is driven by sea.
The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI) was formed on 2 October 1961 in Mumbai. The SCI was changed to a Public Limited Company on 18th September, 1992. The SCI was conferred ‘Navratna’ status by the Government of India on August 2009.
There are 5 major shipyards in India. (1) They are Garden Reach Ship Builders and Engineers Ltd., Kolkata. (2) Mazagon Dock Ltd., Mumbai. (3) Hindustan Shipyard Ltd., Vishakapatnam (4) Cochin Shipyard, Kochi. (5) Hoogly Dock and Port Engineers Limited, Kolkata.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited: It was founded in 1884 and nationalized in 1960. It was awarded Miniratna status in September. 2006 with financial and operational autonomy.
Mazagon Dock Limited : Founded in 1934, Headquarters: Mumbai. The shipyard was nationalized in 1960.
The Hindustan Shipyard: The Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam was set up in 1941. The first ship building yard in the country to get the ISO : 9001 certification. Hindustan Shipyard was founded by Walchand, hirachand.
Cochin Shipyard: Largest Shipyard in India, Cochin Shipyard was founded in 1972. Headquarters is at Thevara, Kochi. The first ship to built from Cochin Shipyard is MV Rani Padmini in 1981.
Hoogly Dock and Port Engineers Ltd. is situated in Kolkata. It was established in 1819 in private sector. It was nationalized in 1984.
Submarine building yard in India is at Visakhapatnam.
India has 13 major ports (12 government and 1 corporate)
The biggest port in India : Mumbai (handling one fifth of the total traffic of all the ports)
The biggest natural harbour in India : Mumbai
Docks in Mumbai Port : Indira and Prince Victoria
Kandla is a tidal port.
First free trade zone in India : Kandla
The first port developed soon after independence is Kandla (Gujarat)
Mormugao is a natural port and an important naval station.
India's most modern sea port is Nhava Sheva
The only riverine port in India : Kolkata
The largest dry dock major port in India Kolkata
The docks in Kolkata - Kolkata Dock, Haldia Dock
The oldest operating port in India : Kolkata Port.
The deepest port in India : Gangavaram, Visakhapatnam. Vishakapatnam port is a Landlocked port
Chennai is third oldest port in India. It is an artificial harbour and second largest in India. Largest port in Bay of Bengal: Chennai
First e-port in India: Kochi. Kochi is a natural harbour built with financial assistance from Japan. Cochin port was declared as a major port in 1936. Cochin port trust was established in 1964
Paradeep was declared a major port in 1966.
First corporate major port of India : Ennore (Tamil Nadu). Ennore port is the 12th major port of India. The new name of Ennore Port is Kamarajar Port (2014).
New Mangalore on the west coast was declared a major port in 1974. Specially developed port for export of Kundermukhi iron ore is New Mangalore
Tuticorin on the east coast was declared a major port in 1974. The new name of Tuticorin port is V.U. chidambaram Port (2011). The port known as 'Pearl City' is Tuticorin.
The only state in India having three major ports : Tamil Nadu
The 13th major port in India : Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
The newest port in India : Port Blair
India's first Private Port : Pipavav Port Ltd Gujarat (established in 1992)
The largest privately owned port in India is Mundra Port (Gujarat)
Krishnapatnam port is the private port in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh
National Ship Design and Research Centre (NSDRC) is situated in Vishakhapatnam
The first Swadeshi Ship in British India is S.S. Gaelia
In 1906, S.S. Gaelia was launched by V.O. Chidambaram Pillai
The Lal Bahadur Shastri College of Advanced Maritime Studies and Research is located at Mumbai.
Marine Engineering and Research Centre (MERI) is situated in Kolkata.
International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) is at Vallarpadam. The first phase of the terminal is commissioned on 11 February 2011.
Inland Waterways in India
The total navigable length of Inland water-ways is 14,500 km.
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) established on 27 October 1986 for growth and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation.
The head office of Inland Waterways Authority of India is located at Noida (Uttar Pradesh)
National Inland Navigation Institute (MINI) is in Patna. NINIs became functional from February 2004.
Headquarters of The Central Inland Water Transport Corporation (CIWTC) is at Kolkata. CIWTC was set up as a public undertaking in May 1967.
The Ganga Bhagirathi Hooghly river system was accepted as NW (National Waterway) -1 during October 1986.
The river Brahmaputra runs between Bangladesh Border and Sadiya was accepted as NW-2 on 1st September, 1988.
The only one National Waterway in Kerala is National Waterway 3
The West Coast Canal runs between Kollam and Kottapuram was accepted a National Waterway 3 in 1993. (205 km)
Kakkinada - Pondicherry stretch of canals runs between Bhadrachalam and Rajahmundry stretch and Wazirabad-Vijayawada stretch was accepted as National Waterway-4 in the year 2008.
Talcher-Dhamra stretch, Geonkhali Charbatia stretch and Charbatia-Dhamra stretch was accepted as National Waterway-5 in 2008.
Lakhipur-Bhanga stretch of 121 km of the Barak River is the Sixth Waterway. It was accepted as a National Waterway in January 2013.
Sagar Mala Project: It is a multidimensional project to infuse a new life into some of the neglected sectors of water transport such as inland waterways and coastal shipping as well as developing new ports with private public partnership.
13 MAJOR PORTS OF INDIA
West Coast (6) : Kandla (Gujarat), Mormugao (Goa), Mumbai Jawaharlal Nehru Port earlier called Nhava Sheva Port (Maharashtra), Cochin (Kerala) and Mangalore (Karnataka).
East Coast (7) : Tuticorin, Chennai, Ennore (Tamil Nadu), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Paradeep (Orissa), Kolkata (West Bengal), Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
