MASSA, a city-based shipping trade body, today said it will partner with the Ministry of Shipping to impart specialised maritime skills.
"India doesn't have the marine academic infrastructure for training quality people like the Philippines has with tremendous government support," Clarence Athaide, the Chief Operating Officer of Maritime Association of Ship-Owners, Ship Managers and Agents (MASSA), said.
The Ministry of Shipping and MASSA would jointly endeavour to meet such academic challenges, he said.
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"As the growth of coastal shipping and inland water waterways is also the prime focus of the Indian government, there exists a dire need to create adequate marine training infrastructure of world-class quality in India," Athaide said.
Indian Government's 'Maritime Agenda' 2020 clearly indicates a thrust on increasing the global share of Indian seafarers and continuous improvement of maritime infrastructure in India, he said adding, "The shipping industry, which has been down for a few years, is witnessing a turnaround and when this happens, there will be a quantum jump in the need for quality ratings and officers."
"India will be unprepared for this as there is a shortage of trained senior officers since there is little upgrade from ratings to officers," Athaide opined.
"MASSA's world-class maritime training institutes located in Mumbai and Chennai, operated on no-profit-no-loss basis, are contributing a lot to the skilling of Indian maritime workforce," he said.
The members of MASSA include companies, which have a long association with Indian seafarers, who are recruited and placed on board ships in the international merchant fleet.
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