Radhika Menon will become the first woman in the world to receive the Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for 2016, from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
She will be awarded for saving the lives of seven fishermen, whose hopes of survival were all but over.
The Awards ceremony is set to take place at IMO Headquarters in London, on 21 November.
The annual Award was established by IMO to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life and perform acts of exceptional bravery.
Captain Menon was nominated by the Government of India, for the rescue of all seven fishermen from the fishing boat Durgamma, which was adrift following engine failure and loss of anchor in severe weather.
Food and water had been washed away and they were surviving on ice from the cold storage facility.
The IMO Council, meeting for its 116th session in London, endorsed the decision of a Panel of Judges that Captain Menon displayed great determination and courage in leading the difficult rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal in June last year.
