Indian Maritime University(IMU) was established in 2008.UGC accredits the Institute. The institute is certified by ISO 9001-2000. India is a major maritime country has a vast coastline. Nearly 95% of foreign trade in terms of volume and 65% in terms of value is handled by sea. Therefore, there is a need for a large fleet of ships to meet the country’s requirements, as only about 10% of our trade is carried by ships with Indian flags. The ships manufactured in India even carry less cargo.
If India has to emerge as a major economic power in future, it would require greater integration in terms of trade with the rest of the world, requiring huge shipping tonnage. The existing facilities for shipbuilding in India are inadequate even for the limited demand at present, let alone the demand that would be generated by high growth. Further, to ensure the safety of our vast coastline, the Naval requirement for sophisticated and modern vessels is also growing rapidly. In this background, the importance of shipbuilding both from the civilian as well as from the Defence perspective need not be over-emphasised.