Merchant Shipping and other related activities under Government Control in India

The Ministry of Shipping (MOS), Govt. of India encompasses within its fold Shipping and Ports sectors which include Shipbuilding and Ship-repair, Major Ports, National Waterways, and Inland Water Transport.
 Ministry of Shipping (MOS) has been entrusted with the responsibility to formulate policies and programmes on these subjects and their implementation.

Major Ports Of India under MOS

[1] Chennai [3] Ennore [3] Kandla [4] Kochi  [5] Kolkata (including Haldia) [6] Marmugao [7] Mumbai (including Jawaharlal Nehru Port) [8] New Mangalore [9] Paradip [10] Tuticorin [11] Visakhapatanam [12] Port Blair.

Kolkata Port Trust (formerly Port Commissioners, Calcutta) is the oldest operating port in India, having originally been constructed by the British East India Company.  Kolkata Port is India's only Riverine Port with two dock systems - Kolkata Dock System at Kolkata with the oil wharves at Budge Budge and a Deep Water Dock system at Haldia Dock Complex.

Mumbai Port Trust (formerly, Bombay Port Trust) was established  in 1873. Ever since, it has been the Gateway to India, and was the contributing factor in the emergence of Mumbai as the commercial capital of India. Increasing growth of Port traffic, led to the establishment of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai in 1992.

 The Port of Visakhapatnam (also called Vizag) is located in east central India on an embayment off the Bay of Bengal. The Port of Visakhapatnam's natural harbor is formed by two promontories that create the only protected harbour on the East Coast.

Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) under MOS
 

[1] Shipping Corporation of India. [2] Cochin Shipyard Limited. [3] Dredging Corporation of India. [4] Hooghly Dock and Ports Engineers Limited. [5] Ennore Ports Limited. [6] Central Inland Water Transport Corporation Limited [7] Sethusamudram Corporation Ltd.

The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is a company owned by the Govt. of India  based in Mumbai that operates and manages vessels that services both national and international lines. SCI was established on October 2, 1961 by the amalgamation of Eastern Shipping Corporation and Western Shipping Corporation. Two more shipping companies, Jayanti Shipping Company and Mogul Lines Limited were merged with SCI in 1973 and 1986 respectively.

Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi, was incorporated in 1972, with the first phase of facilities coming online in 1982. In the last three decades the company has emerged as a forerunner in the Indian shipbuilding industry. This yard has facilities to build vessels up to 1.1 Million tons and repair vessels up to 1.25 Million tons, the largest such facilities in India.

Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Limited, Kolkata, is one of the oldest shipyards in India. It was established in 1819 in private sector and called as Hooghly Docking & Engineering Company Limited. Subsequently, Port Engineering Works, which was with M/s. Andrew Yule & Company, was merged with Hooghly Docking & Engineering Company Limited and the Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Limited (HDPEL) was formed. The Company was nationalised in 1984.

Inland Water Transport on the rivers & some coastal routes was developed by the East India Company men about 180 years ago. The Joint Steamer Companies i.e. India General Steam Navigation Co. and Rivers Steam Navigation Co. were made a P.S.U. in 1967 as Central Inland Water Transport Company Limited (CIWTC). Presently, the main activities are transportation of cargo in the rivers in the Eastern India North-Eastern India and on the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Routes.

Dredging Corporation of India helps to ensure the continuous availability of the desired depths in shipping channels of the Major and Minor Ports, Navy, Fishing harbours and other maritime organisations. The DCI Head Office of  is  located  at Visakhapatnam.

SUBORDINATE AND ATTACHED OFFICES: of MOS

[1] Directorate General of Shipping. [2] Lakshadweep Harbour Works. [3] Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships. [4] Minor Ports Survey Organisation.

 The Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships provides General Aids to Mariner Navigation along the Indian coast. The Headquarters of the Directorate is Noida.(U.P.) 

For administrative control of the entire coastline, the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships has been divided into seven Districts having their regional headquarters at Jamanagar, Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam , Kolkata and Port Blair. 

 Societies and Associations affiliated with MOS

[1] Indian Maritime University [2] Seafarers Welfare Fund Society, [3] Indian Ports Association.

Indian Ports Association being the nodal agency for all Indian major Ports, with its huge data banks undertakes monitoring of Shipping and Traffic related  activities of all Major Ports. Analysis of Ports Performance Indicators, Equipment Utilisation and other productivity parameters and also maintaining the physical and financial progress of various port development projects.

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