Kochi, Apr 8 (PTI) Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday said the central government was committed to modernising maritime education in the country to ensure quality manpower, as India forges ahead to become one of the global leaders in shipbuilding and repairs.

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways was speaking after virtually inaugurating 17 development projects across six campuses of the Indian Maritime University (IMU) aimed at upgrading maritime education and infrastructure.

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Sonowal said the union government was dedicated to transforming maritime education in India by providing world-class infrastructure and training environments.

"These 17 projects mark a significant step in our mission to strengthen India's maritime education landscape. With modern infrastructure and advanced facilities, we are enabling students to excel and meet global maritime standards," he said.

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He noted that in the last 10 years, the number of Indian seafarers has more than doubled to 3.17 lakh, attributing the growth to the priority given to the maritime industry by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sonowal said the government has set a target for India to become one of the top 10 global leaders in shipbuilding and repairs by 2030 and among the top 5 in the next 25 years.

"India is growing faster under the dynamic leadership of Narendra Modi," he added.

Sonowal also said the Centre was planning to make Kochi a global hub for shipbuilding and repairs.

He laid the foundation stone for a new girls' hostel at IMU Kochi, developed at Rs 13.11 crore, which will significantly improve residential facilities for female maritime students.

The 17 virtually inaugurated infrastructure projects included state-of-the-art simulators, solar power plants, sports facilities, and student hostels across IMU campuses in Chennai, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai, Mumbai Port, and Visakhapatnam.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)