Goa News

New U.S. sanctions on Moscow are more likely than previous ones to cut Indian imports of thermal coal from Russia because they specifically cite top exporters SUEK and Mechel, three major traders of Russian coal said.Russia, historically a minor exporter of the fuel to India, began boosting shipments to the south Asian country after Western sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.The latest U.S. sanctions also include Russia's payment system, financial institutions and energy production."With the new sanctions…

DEME announced it has won several capital and maintenance dredging contracts in India, the Maldives and Malaysia, worth €150 million-300 million combined.At Kakinada port in India, where DEME has frequently been performing dredging works, the newly awarded scope includes deepening of the existing berths, turning circle and the inner- and access channel to a depth of 18 m at the deepest point. Works will kick off in Q1 2024 with hopper dredgers and run until the second half of 2024.On behalf of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai…

The Association of Panamanian Shipowners (ARPA) has become an associate member of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).Launched in 2020, ARPA was created by shipowners and operators of vessels to strengthen Panama’s shipping industry by offering quality support, professionalism, credibility, and active contribution to the social economic and environmental improvement of the country.This membership will build on the relationships across the maritime sector as the industry continues to work together to find solutions to collective issues including piracy…

India's army and navy deployed ships and aircraft as they searched for 26 people still missing more than three days after a powerful cyclone sank a barge off the country's west coast, killing 49 people on board.Cyclone Tauktae, the most powerful storm to barrel into the west coast in two decades, has killed at least 46 others after wreaking havoc in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala."Ships and aircraft continue to search for the remaining crew," Navy…

India has become the first country in the world to issue Bio-metric Seafarer Identity Document (BSID), capturing the facial bio-metric data of seafarers.Mansukh Mandaviya, the Minister of Shipping launched the project in New Delhi yesterday (August 28). He also handed over the new BSID cards to five Indian seafarers.The new facial biometric technology is a marked improvement over the two finger or iris based bio-metric data, with modern security features. It will make the identification of the SID holder more reliable and efficient, while protecting their dignity and privacy. India had made a presentation on this technology at International Labour Organization (ILO).Mandaviya said that the country is moving ahead rapidly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India’s largest private multi-port operator, reported a 41.45 percent surge in its consolidated net profit to INR 1,314.19 crore (USD 188.4million) for the quarter ended on March 31, 2019.However, its revenue fell 3.15 percent to INR 31 billion, said a stock exchange annoucement. Its coal volumes rose 30 percent year-on-year during the quarter, while the cargo volume increased 19 percent.The company also reported a record cargo throughput of 54 million metric tonnes in the three months ended March, according to the filing. Adani Ports in March had said it became the first Indian port operator to record a 200 MMT cargo movement.The Press Trust of India quoted Karan Adani…

In the 1870 Jules Verne classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", underwater explorer Captain Nemo predicted the mining of the ocean floor's mineral bounty - zinc, iron, silver and gold.India is catching up with that only now, as it prepares to unearth treasures down below, aiming to boost its economy.The floor of the world's seas is scattered with vast beds of black potato-shaped polymetallic nodules comprising copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, iron and rare earth elements.These natural goodies are key to making modern gadgets…

India's Ministry of Shipping has undertaken a diverse set of initiatives as part of its drive to boost profitability across major Indian ports.One major initiative is to improve the returns earned on treasury investments by the ports for pension, provident and surplus funds. Across all major ports, these funds add up to around INR  33,000 crore (USD 4.8 billion), yielding interest of around INR 2,700 crore (USD 394 million)Looking for ways to push this amount further, the Ministry has realized an opportunity to improve returns by INR 150 crore (USD 22 million) or more through a strategic shift in its guidelines for provident and surplus funds.As per the most recent guidelines…

India's Centre of Excellence in Maritime & Shipbuilding (CEMS), a well-funded startup in skill development for maritime and shipbuilding sector has announced thatits hi tech labs at Visakhapatnam are ready for starting orientation programmes for trainees. A seminar was held on 13th July 2018 in Vishakhapatnam to inform stakeholders about the facilities in the labs and to begin the process of training. This is shortly after CEMS announced the readiness of its Mumbai labs. CEMS is promoted by Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) in partnership with Siemens and Ministry of Shipping. Its Visakhapatnam campus is located in the Indian Maritime University (IMU) premises.

Rolls-Royce said it has reached a deal with Indian naval shipbuilder Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) to cooperate in the local manufacturing of technologically-advanced MTU Series 8000 engines. Under the agreement, which was signed this week at the defense trade show Defexpo in India, the companies will assemble the 16-cylinder and 20-cylinder MTU Series 8000 engines at GSL’s new facility in Goa.The MTU brand produces large diesel and gas engines and complete propulsion systems as part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.The agreement includes transfer of MTU technology related to localizing of engine components, engine assembly, testing, painting and major overhauls. MTU Series 8000 engines are the largest and most powerful MTU diesel engines with a power output of up to 10 MW.

The Jawahar Lal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) will roll out Direct Port Delivery (DPD) transport solution from May 1, enabling faster and cost-effective movement of containers. "The innovative transport solution is aimed to achieve seamless and faster movement of cargo from the port to respective destinations through DPD," said a statement form the company. JNPT has been working on an innovative transport solution to achieve seamless and faster movement of cargo from the port to respective destinations through DPD. Four successful bidders have won the mandate for five routes- from JNPT to Gujarat, to Goa and Bengaluru, to Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Indore and Hyderabad, to Ahmednagar and to local regions in and around Mumbai.

Indian Union Minister of Shipping Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated the Inland ferry services in the port city of Vasco in Goa. In his keynote address, the Minister said that while addressing the needs of the poor, environment and ecosystem must be given its due priority. To achieve this, all the stakeholders need to make a concerted decision and action. Nitin Gadkari said, India has about seven thousand five hundred kilometres of seashore which can help the development of the country while giving tourism the much-required boost. Goa owes its emergence as a tourism state due to its coastal belt. The tourism sector has very high potential for Investment and employment generation. The Minister said, use of waterways is economical, environmental friendly; and needs better utilization.

India's INSV Tarini entered Cape Town (South Africa) today during it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, defence minister had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on 10 September 17. The vessel has covered 17500 Nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on 25 September 17, Cape Leeuwin on 09 November 17 and Cape Horn on 19 January 18.

Indian vessel INSV Tarini entered Port Stanley, (Falkland islands on January 22, 2018 during it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on 10 September 2017. The vessel has covered approximately 15,000 Nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on September 25, 2017, then Cape Leeuwin on November 9 and Cape Horn on January 18.

Member States of BIMSTEC ( Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation ) met in New Delhi this week to discuss modalities for promoting coastal shipping in the region. BIMSTEC member countries include India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal. In this first meeting of the Working Group on 27th and 28th of November, member countries discussed the draft text of BIMSTEC Coastal Shipping Agreement drafted by the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India. The objective of the above agreement is to facilitate coastal shipping in the region, thereby giving a boost to trade between the member countries. The agreement would apply to coastal shipping, that is shipping within 20 nautical miles of the coastline.

India's INSV Tarini entered Lyttelton port (New Zealand) on 29 Nov 2017, during it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. Nirmala Sitharaman, Indian Defence Minister had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on 10 September 17. The vessel has covered 7800 Nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on 25 September 17 and Cape Leeuwin on 09 November 17. The indigenously-built INSV Tarini is a 56-foot sailing vessel…

In an initiative to bolster bilateral relations with friendly foreign countries and navies in the Indian ocean region, INS Sarvekshak, a hydrographic survey ship of Southern Naval Command, arrived at Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania on 15 November 2017 for undertaking joint  Hydrographic Survey along with the Tanzanian Navy. The joint survey will be conducted with the Naval personnel of Tanzania who have been trained in India in National Institute of Hydrography, Goa. During the survey, training of Tanzanian Naval personnel will also be undertaken on advanced hydrographic equipment and practices. The ship will visit Dar-es-Salaam harbour in Tanzania during her stay for refuelling and replenishing stores and provisions. Joint exercises with Tanzanian Navy are planned during the period of deployment.

The Ministry of Shipping in India has taken up projects worth Rs 2,302 crore (USD 356million) for financial assistance under the Coastal Berth Scheme of the flagship Sagarmala Programme. The Ministry, after due appraisal in consultation with NITI Aayog and Department of Expenditure, has extended the period of the scheme for three years, upto 31st March, 2020 and expanded its scope to cover capital dredging at Major Ports and preparation of DPR for coastal berth project, in Oct 2017. The projects under Coastal Berth Scheme of the flagship Sagarmala Programme are distributed over eight states with the highest number of projects in Maharashtra (12 projects)…

INSV Tarini entered Fremantle, Australia on 23 October 2017 as part of it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, Indian Defence Minister, had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on 10 September 2017. The vessel has covered about 4,800 nautical miles since flagging off and crossed the Equator on 25 September 2017 and the Tropic of Capricorn on 06 October 2017. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta.

Six women officers of the Indian Navy, who are due to circumnavigate the globe on the sailing vessel, INSV Tarini, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. They will begin their voyage later this month from Goa, and expect to return to Goa in March 2018, after completing the circumnavigation. "Navika Sagar Parikrama is a project wherein a team of women officers of the Indian Navy would circumnavigate the globe on an Indian-built sail boat INSV Tarini," explained a government statement. The project is considered essential towards promoting Ocean Sailing activities in the Navy while depicting Government of India’s thrust for ‘Nari Shakti’ (Women Power).

Indian Minister of Shipping Nitin Gadkari  has said that Cruise Tourism is one of the fastest growing components of the leisure industry worldwide, and  can be a major growth driver for the Indian economy by generating huge employment opportunities. Gadkari was  speaking at the National Workshop on “Action Plan for Development of Cruise Tourism in India”, in New Delhi today. The workshop was also attended by Minister of State for  Culture and Tourism Dr Mahesh Sharma, and representatives of all stakeholder organizations – both from the government and the private sector – including regulatory agencies which deal with issues impacting cruise tourism.

The Indian Navy launched a massive search operation for a Mexican lady cadet who reportedly fell overboard from the Mexican sail training ship STS Cuahtemoc off Goa, on June 11. "Indian Navy has launched a “Search & Rescue” operation to look for a lady cadet who has reportedly fallen overboard from Mexican Sail Training Ship (STS) Cuauhtemoc, at 1400 hrs on 11 June 2017 in position about 560 Nm west of Goa," said a statement from the Navy. It has been reported that the lady cadet was not donning life saving gear when she fell overboard. Promptly responding to the alert, Boeing P8I aircraft sorties were undertaken from 2100 hrs -  2300 hrs and 0630 hrs – 1030 hrs on 11 June 2017 and 12 June 2017 respectively for SAR.

The Indian Navy's sailing vessel INSV Tarini, with an all-woman crew,  visited Port Louis harbour in Mauritius as part efforts by the two countries to ramp up maritime security cooperation. Tarini, which inducted in the Indian Navy in Feb 2017, is the sister Vessel of Indian Navy's first sailing Vessel INSV Mhadei, that has numerous accomplishments to her name. INSV Tarini is 55 feet in length and built in India in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Indian Navy, fructified by M/s Aquarius Shipyard, Goa. The Vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi (a Naval Architect) and the all-women Naval officers crew comprising Lieutenant Commander Pratibha Jamwal, Lieutenant P Swathi, Lieutenant Vijaya Devi, Lieutenant Payal Gupta and Lieutenant B Aishwarya.