Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Inaugurates State-of-the-Art Maritime Simulation Centre in Chennai
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Inaugurates State-of-the-Art Maritime Simulation Centre in Chennai
DD TIMES CHENNAI, September 26, 2025: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated a state-of-the-art Maritime Simulation Centre of Excellence at AMET Knowledge Park near Chennai on Friday, calling it a landmark initiative that will strengthen India’s seafarer training and reinforce the country’s growing role as a maritime power.
The centre — a collaboration between the Academy of Maritime Education and Training (AMET) University and global shipping leader A.P. Moller–Maersk — represents a ₹13.5 crore investment, including a ₹6.5 crore ($750,000) contribution from the A.P. Moller Foundation. Equipped with Full Mission Simulators for deck and engine operations, Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), and advanced Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) labs, the facility is designed to provide immersive, hands-on training for cadets in critical maritime operations.
“This world-class facility will empower our young professionals with the advanced skills needed to excel in the global shipping industry,” Sonowal said at the event. “Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, India has made huge strides in the maritime sector after decades of neglect. We are now unlocking the vast opportunities of the blue economy to create jobs, boost trade, and make India a global maritime leader.”
Highlighting India’s emergence as the third-largest supplier of seafarers in the world, Sonowal commended AMET University’s contribution of more than 18,000 trained seafarers over the past 32 years, representing 5.5 percent of India’s global contribution. “AMET is setting a fine example of how academia can work in tandem with industry to nurture talent, raise benchmarks, and prepare India’s youth for global opportunities,” he added.
The Minister noted that the Maritime Simulation Centre, developed under the framework of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, is expected to provide advanced technical training to nearly 12,500 students over the next decade. “This centre is not only about machines and simulators, but about shaping a future-ready talent pool that is resilient, disciplined, and committed to serving both India and the world,” Sonowal said.
Applauding AMET and Maersk’s joint efforts to boost female participation in maritime careers, he observed, “I am delighted to see several bright and ambitious young women here today. AMET and Maersk have taken conscious steps to bring women from Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns into this field, opening up new horizons of rewarding, respectable, and global careers for them.”
Since 2014, India’s maritime sector has undergone sweeping reforms — from modernising port infrastructure and boosting coastal and inland shipping to aligning training standards with global best practices. Cargo movement through inland waterways has risen sevenfold in a decade, coastal shipping has grown by 150 percent, and nine Indian ports now rank among the world’s top 100.
Sonowal also pointed to major investments announced under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, including ₹70,000 crore to revive shipbuilding and ship recycling, a ₹25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund, and a National Shipbuilding Mission to make India globally competitive in tonnage, shipbuilding and repair. These initiatives, he said, will help save nearly ₹4.5 lakh crore annually in freight charges and generate 25 to 30 lakh jobs.
“The Simulation Centre marks a significant milestone in India’s maritime education journey,” the Minister stressed. “From a modest beginning with 14 cadets to nurturing more than 4,000 students today, AMET has remained steadfast in shaping skilled and competent seafarers. This facility writes the next chapter in Tamil Nadu’s proud maritime legacy, dating back to the Chola dynasty, while equipping our youth to lead India into its golden maritime era.”
The inauguration was attended by Dr. J. Ramachandran, Founder and Chancellor of AMET University; Nynne Norman Scheuer, Senior Director and Head of Marine People and Culture at Maersk; Shyam Jagannathan, Director General of Shipping; senior delegates from A.P. Moller–Maersk; Peter Winther-Schmidt, Head of Trade and Innovation at the Consulate General of Denmark in Bengaluru; and hundreds of enthusiastic maritime cadets.
