<h3 data-path-to-node="0">In a major expansion of its maritime industrial policy, India has established an ambitious target to recycle nearly 16,000 ships over the next decade. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced the roadmap alongside a massive 8 billion USD financial commitment earmarked to drive technological modernization, capacity expansion, and strict environmental compliance across both the domestic shipbuilding and ship recycling sectors.</h3><p data-path-to-node="3">The strategy was highlighted during high-level bilateral discussions with European Commissioner Jessika Roswall, focusing on aligning Indian recycling yards with European Union standards to capture a dominant share of global end-of-life vessel management.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="5"><b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="0">EU Regulatory Alignment and UNCTAD Market Growth</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="6">The administrative push targets deeper integration into the global circular economy by unlocking strict Western markets and modernizing domestic yards:</p><ul data-path-to-node="7"><li><p data-path-to-node="7,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">The EU Compliance Push:</b> Over 30 Indian ship recycling facilities have officially applied for formal recognition under the European Union Ship Recycling Regulation (EUSRR) framework. Currently, six yards are in advanced stages of compliance review, while three facilities have successfully cleared all initial auditing benchmarks, making them eligible for immediate EU registration.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Surging Global Market Share:</b> Driven by extensive infrastructure upgrades, India's share of worldwide ship recycling jumped from 30.1% in 2024 to 35.4% in 2025 according to the latest UNCTAD data. The country processed 2.99 million Gross Tonnes (GT) of shipping material in 2025, marking an impressive 60% year-on-year volume expansion.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Coordinated Joint Working Group:</b> To streamline structural verification, the EU has proposed the establishment of a Joint Working Group connecting India's Ministry of Environment and maritime authorities to monitor compliance, emphasizing the integration of unannounced on-site field inspections.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="7,3,0"><b data-path-to-node="7,3,0" data-index-in-node="0">Worker Welfare and Eco-Upgrades:</b> The 8 billion USD capital pipeline will continue to back heavy terminal retrofits, including advanced effluent treatment plants (ETPs), scientific waste disposal systems, specialized worker housing, and regional multi-specialty healthcare hubs.</p></li></ul>