New Digital Maritime Initiatives of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

Why in News ?

Recently, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) launched several digital initiatives to strengthen service delivery, transparency, and accountability in the maritime sector. These digital governance platforms have been developed by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS).

Major Digital Initiatives

1. Unified Ship Recycling Credit Note Module

• The government has launched a portal under the new Ship Recycling Credit Scheme. 
• Under this scheme, ship owners recycling vessels at Hong Kong Convention (HKC)-compliant Indian ship recycling yards will receive a credit note equivalent to 40% of the vessel’s scrap value. 
• The credit note can be redeemed for new shipbuilding projects in India. 
• The scheme is part of the ₹70,000 crore Maritime Development Package announced in 2025. 

Significance

• Encourages domestic shipbuilding. 
• Promotes a circular maritime value chain and sustainable recycling practices. 

2. Hong Kong International Convention (HKC)

• A global convention developed under the International Maritime Organization (IMO), effective from June 2025. 
• Aims to ensure that ship recycling is conducted in a manner that is safe for human health and the environment. 
• Ships of 500 Gross Tonnage (GT) and above must maintain an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM). 
• Recycling is permitted only at authorized and compliant ship recycling facilities. 

3. 24×7 Grievance Redressal Module (e-Navik)

• Indian seafarers can now register complaints through: 
  • e-Navik Portal 
  • WhatsApp 
  • Toll-free Helpline 
  • E-mail 
• Enables quicker resolution of grievances from any location. 
• Strengthens India's commitment to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). 

4. Ship Registration Module (e-Samudra)

• Digitizes and simplifies the ship registration process. 
• Aims to align India’s maritime administration with global standards. 
• Enhances efficiency and ease of doing business in the shipping sector. 

5. Medical Practitioner Module

• Streamlines the registration and monitoring of doctors authorized to issue medical certificates to seafarers. 
• Helps prevent the issuance of fraudulent medical certificates. 
• Improves transparency and reliability in maritime medical certification. 

Logistics Port Performance Index (LPPI) 2024–25

On the same occasion, the Union Minister released the Logistics Port Performance Index (LPPI) 2024–25 under the Sagar Aankalan Framework.

What is LPPI ?

• A national benchmarking tool for evaluating and improving the operational performance of Indian ports. 
• Designed to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of ports. 

Key Objectives

LPPI supports the following national initiatives:

• PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan 
• Maritime India Vision 2030 
• Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 

Assessment Parameters

Ports are evaluated on the basis of:

• Cargo Handling Performance 
• Vessel Turnaround Time 
• Berth Idle Time 
• Other Operational Efficiency Indicators 

The index assigns equal weightage to:

• Absolute Performance 
• Year-on-Year Improvement 

Top Performing Ports (2024–25)