Career in Merchant Navy

Introduction :
The opportunity to travel around the world and the lure of adventure on the high seas, besides the
possibility of high remunerations attracts many youngsters to make a career in the Merchant
Navy. Merchant Navy is different from the navy in the sense that it offers commercial services, as
opposed to the navy, which is largely involved in the defence of a nation.

The Merchant Navy is the backbone of international trade, carrying cargo all over the world.
Merchant ships employ a huge number of workers to carry and deliver goods from one country to
another. Without the merchant navy, much of the import-export business would come to a grinding
halt!

A career in the merchant navy is considered a glamorous job, especially by the people who have
been bitten by the travel bug. It offers an opportunity to visit new and exotic places all around the
globe. Merchant Navy career is not only monetarily rewarding but also satisfying and a quite
challenging.

Eligibility Criteria :
 Finishing class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
 Candidates have to be unmarried Indian citizens (male or female).
 Normal vision is required but glasses up to plus or minus 2.5 may be allowed.
 Admission is through an entrance followed by a screening test and a main written
examination.q
 After clearing the test, there is an interview and a medical test.
 You also need to complete a ship-training course prior to the employment. The course is
generally short-term where the candidates are taught basic security concerns of voyaging.

There are some private institutes, which offer training for merchant navy as well. These institutes
prepare students for jobs such as deck cadets and marine engineering jobs.

How to Join Merchant Navy After 12th :

After class 12, you are eligible to study the following merchant navy courses:
 B.Sc. Nautical Science
 B.E. Marine Engineering
 B.E. Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering
 B.E. Petroleum Engineering
 Career in Merchant Navy
 B.E. Mechanical Engineering
 B.E. Harbour & Ocean Engineering
 B.E. Civil Engineering
 B.E. Electrical & Electronics Engineering
 B.Sc. Marine Catering
 Electro Technical Officer Course

How to Join Merchant Navy After 10th :

Merchant navy courses that you can pursue after 10th include:
 Near Coastal Voyage (NCV)
 Diploma in Nautical Science (DNS)
 Commercial Diving
 G.P. Rating

Entrance Exams for Merchant Navy :

After completion of 12th class, interested candidates can appear for the Indian Maritime University
Common Entrance Test (IMU CET) or the All India Merchant Navy Entrance Exam. This exam is
generally conducted in the month of May. The other exams that can also serve as a gateway for
Marine Engineering are JEE, MERI Entrance Exam, TIMSAT.

Eligibility Criteria:

10th for GP rating Course.

For Deck cadet and Engine cadet: 10+2 with PCM 60%.

Application for the exam can be done online. Along with the application form, applicants have to
submit a brief summary of 100 words that states why they wish to apply for Merchant Navy.
This exam is an MCQ pattern test spanning over subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics,
English, General Knowledge and Reasoning.

Merchant Navy - Job Prospects :

There are enormous employment opportunities in this field. Candidates who have finished the
basic course in merchant navy can get jobs very easily through various consultants and placement
agencies. Merchant navy fleet consist of cargo ships, container ships, barge carrying ships,
tankers, bulk carriers, refrigerators ships, passenger ships, as well as roll off/roll on ships. The
possibility of finding employment in cargo ships is more as compared to the others.
 Career in Merchant Navy
Companies that run merchant ships require trained people who can operate and maintain the
ships. Some of these companies are: Chevron and Mobil of USA, Wallem Ship Management of
Hong Kong, Denholm of UK, K Line, Bibby Ship Management, d'Amico etc. India too has its
shipping companies, such as the Shipping Corporation of India, Great Eastern Shipping, Essar and
Chowgule Shipping. Trained people are required for the three main departments of the ship: the
deck, the engine and the service department.

In India, job opportunities are also available in government and private shipping companies like
Shipping Corporation of India, clearing houses, del credere agents etc.

Merchant navy job profiles :

Deck officer (navigation officer)
Electro-technical officer (ETO)
Engineer

Ratings - ratings are skilled seafarers who help all the officers with daily tasks
Catering & hospitality crew (pursers, stewards, chef, housekeeper etc.)

Merchant Navy - Pay Package

In Merchant Navy, the salary can range from anywhere between Rs.12000 to Rs.8 lakhs per
month though the pay structure differ from company to company, city to city, the export-import
needs, seniority etc. All crew members and officers are given free meals on board and senior
officers can take along their wives for the voyage.

A Junior Engineer on a ship can earn around Rs. 30,000 per month with free boarding and lodging
while signed on board the vessel. The next level is of Second Engineer and finally, Chief
Engineer on a ship. As you keep getting promoted, your salary increases substantially. A Chief
Engineer at sea earns Rs. 1.5 lakhs per month or more net of taxes. It takes about 6-7 years for a
Junior Engineer Officer to get promoted to the rank of Chief Engineer, depending on individual
capabilities and job opportunities available.

A Third Officer's salary is around Rs. 50,000 per month plus free boarding and lodging while on
board.Next levels in increasing order of seniority are Second Officer, a Chief Officer and Captain of
a ship. A Captain's pay package is Rs. 2 lakhs per month or more net of taxes. It takes about 8
years for a Third Officer to get promoted to the rank of Captain, depending on individual
capabilities and the job opportunities available.
 Career in Merchant Navy

Some Institutes of Merchant Navy :

1 C.V. Raman College of Engineering Bhubaneswar

2 AMET University Chennai
3 Balaji Seamen Training Institute Chennai
4 Chennai School of Ship Management Chennai
Chidambaram Institute of Maritime
5 Technology Chennai
6 CMC Maritime Academy Chennai
7 Cosmopolitan Technology of Maritime Chennai
Hindustan Institute Of Maritime
8 Training Post Sea Training Centre Kilpauk, Chennai
HIMT College Hindustan Institute Of
Maritime Training Pre-Sea Training Kalpakkam
9 Centre (Chennai)
School of Seamanship and Nautical Kancheepuram
10 Technology (Tamil Nadu)
GKM College of Engineering &
11 Technology Chennai
GKM Institute of Marine Sciences &
12 Technology Chennai
13 Indian Maritime College Chennai
14 Indus Seafarers Training Academy Chennai
15 International Maritime Academy Chennai
Career in Merchant Navy