Government planning to deploy SCI in Middle East to commence shipping services

New Delhi: The government on Wednesday announced that the state-run Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is actively working to commence shipping services in the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

"Starting shipping services takes time as it involves multiple factors. The government is working on this so that the Shipping Corporation of India can start services to the Middle East. This will benefit our exporters," Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways told media persons here.

Mangal added that India is currently in discussions with Iranian authorities to facilitate the movement of Indian vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz.

A high-level meeting was held on April 28 involving officials from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). The meeting reviewed the current status of operations across sectors, discussed emerging issues, and deliberated on measures to ensure sustained production, supply chains, and operational mechanisms.

On the safety of Indian seafarers, Mangal informed that 29 Indian seafarers were repatriated from the Gulf region in the last 24 hours. The Shipping Ministry has so far facilitated the safe repatriation of 2,829 Indian seafarers, he said.

He assured that all Indian vessels and crew members currently in the Persian Gulf are being closely monitored and confirmed that all seafarers in the region remain safe.

Meanwhile, when asked about reports of the UAE quitting the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said it was “too early to comment” on the matter.