Image for representation purposes only India has overtaken China and become the second-largest supplier of seafarers in the world, providing at least 311,936 talented and well-trained maritime professionals to the shipping industry, the BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026 reveals. Indian seafarers now comprise 12.16% of the total seafarer workforce, just behind the Philippines and ahead of China, Russia and Indonesia. This is a significant achievement. India was in the 5th spot in 2015, accounting for only 5.2% of the seafarers. In 2021, it jumped to 6%, though it remained in the fifth position only. The BIMCO-ICS report 2026 has shown tremendous growth, with India’s share almost doubling in the last 10 years. India’s share has risen, especially in the office cadre, as New Delhi now supplies around 140,718 officers, consisting of 13.41% of the total officer workforce. There are approximately 171,218 Indian ratings on global ships with a share of 11.29%. India is not only leading in terms of numbers, but there has been progress in skill development as well. The total number of seafarers in the world stands at 2.57 million, though the demand has increased to around 2.55 million. Thus, a seafarer shortage is affecting the industry, which makes it critical for a country like India to take charge and meet the requirements of the global shipping industry. The achievement has been the result of several reforms implemented over the last decade by the government to promote maritime education, training and skill development by providing young cadets with modernised training infrastructure, increasing the number of seats in educational institutions, digitalisation of the seafarer certification process and also services offered through the Directorate General of Shipping. The above-mentioned steps have contributed to maintaining the competitiveness of the Indian seafarers and strengthening compliance with the international Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-kee