{"id":77617,"date":"2026-06-23T18:14:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T12:44:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=77617"},"modified":"2026-06-23T18:16:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T12:46:02","slug":"ship-recycling-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/23-06-2026\/ship-recycling-india","title":{"rendered":"India Becomes World\u2019s Top Ship Recycling Nation\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has become the World\u2019s Top Ship Recycling Nation in the year 2025.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Ship Recycling?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ship Recycling is the process of <strong>dismantling a vessel\u2019s structure<\/strong> for scrapping or disposal whether conducted at a beach, pier, dry dock or dismantling slip.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It includes a wide range of activities, from removing all gear and equipment to cutting down and recycling the ship\u2019s infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India&#8217;s Ship Recycling Landscape<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As per the latest report by the <strong>United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), India\u2019s share of global ship recycling<\/strong> increased to<strong> 35.4 per cent in 2025<\/strong> from 30.1 per cent in 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ship recycling in the country rose significantly to<strong> 2.99 million gross tonnes<\/strong> in 2025, up nearly 60 percent from 1.86 million gross tonnes in 2024.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With this achievement, the target set under <strong>Maritime India Vision 2030 <\/strong>to become the world\u2019s leading ship recycling nation has been <strong>achieved five years ahead of schedule.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Alang-Sosiya ship recycling cluster in Gujarat<\/strong> forms the backbone of the country\u2019s recycling capacity and is the largest ship recycling hub in the world.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The cluster accounts for approximately <strong>97%<\/strong> of India\u2019s ship recycling activity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Regulatory Framework Governing Ship Recycling in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ship Recycling Act, 2019:<\/strong> Provides the overarching legal foundation for regulating ship recycling in India.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It gives domestic effect to international standards, designates the <strong>Directorate General of Shipping as the National Authority <\/strong>and mandates authorisation, certification, inspection and enforcement mechanisms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ship Recycling Rules, 2021:<\/strong> Operationalise the Act by prescribing procedural and technical requirements including facility authorisation, Ship Recycling Plans, hazardous material management, worker safety, training and reporting obligations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ship Recycling Regulations, 2026:<\/strong> Strengthen implementation through detailed operational, safety and environmental standards, ensuring uniform compliance and effective monitoring.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Government of India <strong>enacted the Recycling of Ships Act, 2019<\/strong>, to develop a ship recycling ecosystem aligned with the <strong>Hong Kong International Convention <\/strong>for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC), which India <strong>ratified in 2019.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ship-breaking Credit Note Scheme: <\/strong>MoPSW launched the Ship-breaking Credit Note Scheme, under which ship owners receive a credit note equivalent to 40% of the scrap value of a recycled ship.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The credit note can be utilised toward payment of up to <strong>5% of the value of a new vessel <\/strong>built at an Indian shipyard, thereby promoting both ship recycling and domestic shipbuilding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Hong Kong International Convention (HKC)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships is the principal international instrument governing ship recycling. It establishes <strong>legally binding requirements<\/strong> for ships and recycling facilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Convention<strong> entered into force on 26 June 2025,<\/strong> making compliance mandatory for Parties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ship Recycling Industries Association&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It<strong> <\/strong>is an organisation established for the welfare of ship recycling activity in<strong> India.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It safeguards the rights of its membership recyclers and ensures safe and eco-friendly recycling activity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in Ship Recycling<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hazardous Waste Management: <\/strong>Ships contain toxic materials such as asbestos, oil residues, heavy metals, and hazardous chemicals that require safe handling and disposal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Infrastructure Constraints:<\/strong> The recycling facilities require modernization and advanced waste-treatment systems to achieve environmentally sound recycling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Worker Safety Concerns<\/strong>: Ship dismantling is a high-risk activity involving accidents, fires, explosions, and exposure to harmful substances.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Competition:<\/strong> India faces strong competition from countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, which are operating at lower costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concluding remarks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India&#8217;s rise to the top position in global ship recycling is the result of a coordinated strategy focused on sustainability, regulatory reforms, and industry collaboration.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With strong future demand, increasing compliance with international standards and continued government support, India is well-positioned to strengthen its leadership in ship recycling while advancing the objectives of the <strong>circular economy <\/strong>and sustainable maritime development.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/newsonair.gov.in\/india-becomes-worlds-top-ship-recycling-nation-in-year-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>AIR<\/strong><\/a><strong>, <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2276739&amp;reg=48&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><strong>, <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dgma.gov.in\/engineering-wing\/ew-ship-recycling-in-india\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>MoPSW<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> India has become the World\u2019s Top Ship Recycling Nation in the year 2025.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> What is Ship Recycling? <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Ship Recycling is the process of dismantling a vessel\u2019s structure for scrapping or disposal whether conducted at a beach, pier, dry dock or dismantling slip.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> It includes a wide range of activities, from removing all gear and equipment to cutting down and recycling the ship\u2019s infrastructure. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/23-06-2026\/ship-recycling-india \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77617"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77620,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77617\/revisions\/77620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}