One in every eight sailors serving aboard a merchant ship worldwide could be Indian. While this shows India’s growing influence over the global maritime workforce, it also means that a growing number of Indians are now sailing through some of the most perilous waters in the world.
As the wars between the US and Iran, and between Russia and Ukraine spill into the seas, vital shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea have become flashpoints, putting commercial vessels and their civilian crew in the line of fire.
A conservative UN estimate suggests at least 6,000 seafarers from around the world remain stranded in and around the Strait of Hormuz as of July 24. With threats and attacks around other vital shipping routes like the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, Red Sea, increasing, seafarers face serious risks.
For Indians, this isn’t a hypothetical threat.
According to the government’s official figure, 10 Indian seafarers have been killed in West Asia since February. The MEA says at least 166 other Indian seafarers aboard domestic and foreign-flagged ships are still in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Also Read: Iran missile strike on UAE tankers kills Indian sailor as Hormuz toll climbs
In the Black Sea, the growing number of drone and missile strikes have claimed the lives of at least five Indian seafarers, while two others remain missing. The missing sailors were among the four Indians aboard MV AGN Ragnar, a Palau-flagged cargo ship, which came under attack while leaving Ukraine’s Odesa port. The other two Indian sailors were successfully rescued.
Additionally, 13 others aboard MV Amir 1, a Tanzania-flagged cargo ship, are caught in the crossfire between Russia and Ukraine. The incident was brought to attention on July 28 when the Forward Seamen’s Union of India shared a video on X, showing plumes of thick smoke rising above the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk where the ship is docked.
“We urgently appeal to all concerned authorities, shipowners, flag state, and the Government of India to immediately secure their safety and arrange prompt repatriation,” their post said. “Indian seafarers must not be left as sitting targets in conflict zones.”
The Indian Embassy in Ukraine responded soon after, taking note of the matter.
India’s Focus On Seafarer Security
The growing uncertainties and casualties in the maritime corridors of the world have pushed the issue of seafarer security higher on the government’s agenda. The topic was among those discussed at the fourth special meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security held on July 30.
According to the official statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the establishment of a new mechanism to assist Indian sailors and their kin. The mechanism will provide timely information, emergency assistance, and counselling to both seafarers and their families.
India has also stepped up diplomatic engagements with both Iran and Ukraine discussing attacks on commercial shipping vessels.
On July 31, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in this regard urging that “attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers be avoided under any circumstance.”
“India condemns any such attack by any party,” he said in a post on X.
On July 30, EAM Jaishankar also held a call with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, to discuss the “attacks on commercial shipping and Indian seafarers in the Black Sea.”
“Such attacks by any party are absolutely unacceptable and India condemns them unequivocally,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.
Also Read: 13 Indian seafarers trapped on ship at Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port; MEA monitoring situation
On July 26, the MEA also issued an advisory to Indian seafarers taking up employment in vessels operating in the Black Sea.
“Indian nationals intending to undertake employment on commercial vessels operating in or transiting the conflict-affected region are advised to carefully assess the prevailing security risks before accepting such assignments,” the advisory read.
For those intending to take such assignments, the advisory listed precautions like getting information about the vessel’s intended route, keeping family members informed and monitoring and complying with advisories issued by concerned Indian authorities.
However, seafarers have limited access to the route their vessel sets off on, Manoj Yadav, the general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India said. “India is a labour supply country,” he said, “and labour cannot predict the route. It is a subject to the owner and the charter.”
India’s Share of Global Maritime Manpower Doubles Over the Past Decade
The numbers justify the action. Over this past decade, India’s share of the global supply of seafarers has more than doubled. According to a report by The Baltic and International Maritime Council and the International Chamber of Shipping, India’s share of the global supply of seafarers has grown from 5.2% in 2015, to 6% in 2021, and further to 12.16% in 2026.
This growth makes India the second largest supplier of global maritime manpower to the world, ahead of China and Russia and second only to the Philippines.
Currently, there are over 3 lakh Indian seafarers across global waters, including 140,718 officers and 171,218 ratings.
The expansion comes at a critical time for the shipping industry. The BIMCO-ICS report estimates the global supply of seafarers at approximately 2.57 million, compared with demand for around 2.55 million.
Also Read: Shipping authority to set up dashboard for real-time info on Indian seafarers in West Asia
The narrow gap, combined with a continuing shortage of qualified officers, points towards an increasingly tight labour market, as per the report.
Meanwhile, India is positioning itself as a critical partner to meet the industry’s future manpower requirements.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal said India is pursuing “Mission 20%”, an initiative aimed at increasing India’s contribution to the global seafaring workforce from 12.16% to 20%, effectively ensuring that one in every five people working aboard merchant vessels is Indian.
“Mission 20% is our next national milestone. We are expanding maritime training capacity, strengthening shipboard training opportunities, fostering deeper industry-academia partnerships, leveraging digital technologies and creating greater opportunities for young Indians, especially women, to pursue rewarding careers at sea,” Sonowal said in a statement.
As India occupies a larger role in the global supply of maritime manpower, the challenge ahead is not only how many seafarers we can send to the sea, but also how many can return home safely.
For Indian seafarers, this means the risks have risen suddenly. They’re not just contending with a cruel sea, but with the decisions of employers, nations and political leaders with whom they may have no connection at all.