India vs neighbors: Merchant shipping game
India wants to be a big player at sea, but its merchant shipping game isn't keeping up with neighbors like China and Vietnam.
Even with big plans—like Maritime India Vision 2030—growth has been slow.
By the end of 2025, India is expected to have around 1,244 ships under its belt. For comparison? China will have over 10,000.
India's fleet growth since 2016
Since 2016, China's fleet more than doubled in size. Vietnam grew its fleet by a massive 134%, and Indonesia by 51%.
Meanwhile, India managed just a 30% increase and now ranks only 12th globally for merchant ship numbers—behind Indonesia and China.
Deadweight tonnage capacity
India's total shipping capacity (deadweight tonnage) grew by about 70% since 2016, reaching an estimated 37 million tons in 2025.
But that's still tiny next to China's jump of over 120%—now at a huge 347 million tons.
Despite being known for recycling ships and training seafarers, India holds just about a tiny slice (1.5%) of global shipping power.