New Delhi : Expressing strong support for the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025, Captain Brijesh Chowta, MP Dakshina Kannada, said the landmark legislation would modernize India’s maritime sector and significantly boost trade, employment, and coastal security in Mangalore and the wider Dakshina Kannada region.
Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate, Captain Chowta said, “The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025, is a landmark reform that will modernize India’s maritime sector and propel us towards becoming a global shipping hub. This Bill is a visionary step to strengthen the maritime sector, ensuring safe, efficient, and sustainable maritime operations for a rising India.”
The Bill introduces key reforms including flexible vessel registration, easing ownership norms to attract foreign and NRI-led investment; enhanced safety and environmental standards aligned with international conventions to protect marine ecosystems; support for capital-deficient entrepreneurs and MSMEs through bareboat charter arrangements; expanded coastal security provisions in response to threats like 26/11; welfare measures for Indian seafarers, benefiting the 85% serving on foreign-flagged vessels; and a legal framework for maritime education to standardize over 160 training institutes across India.
Highlighting its impact on Mangalore, Captain Chowta said the Bill will increase cargo at New Mangalore Port, which handled 46.01 million tonnes in 2024-25, attract new investments in shipping, improve welfare for thousands of local seafarers, and strengthen institutions like Mangalore Marine College and Technology, creating high-quality maritime professionals for India’s growing blue economy. He added, “As a representative of Mangalore, one of India’s proud maritime gateways, I see this as a timely and transformative step for enabling port-led development in this Amritkaal.”
“This Bill is a visionary reform that ensures safe, sustainable, and globally competitive maritime operations for a rising India. It will unlock the full potential of New Mangalore Port and our coastal economy, strengthening Karnataka’s role in India’s maritime growth story,” said Captain Chowta.
He further expressed disappointment that constant disruptions by the opposition during the Lok Sabha debate prevented him from presenting several key points about the Bill’s long-term benefits for the maritime sector and the people of Dakshina Kannada.
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