Indian Shipping 1965

India Industry Ship Trade & Commerce

April 5, 1965

A commemorative postage stamp on the Indian Shipping : National Maritime Day 1965 :

Issued by India

Issued on Monday, Apr 5, 1965

Issued for : The Posts and Telegraphs Department is glad to issue a special postage stamp to mark the achievements of Indian Shipping on the occasion of the 2^nd National Maritime Day falling on April 5, 1965.

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Blue

Denomination : 0.15

Size : 4.06 X 2.28 cms.

Perforation : 14 x 14½

Watermark : All over multiple ‘Lion Capital of Asoka’

Number printed : 2 million

Set : 50 stamps per issue sheet

Printing Process : Photogravure

Designed and Printed at : India Security Press

About :

With a coast-line of over 3500 miles, her extensive maritime trade and, the strategic position which she occupies in the Indian ocean, the need for India having an adequate maritime fleet cannot be over-emphasised. The development of Indian merchant shipping has accordingly received the constant attention of Government after 1947. At the time of Independence the total Indian tonnage stood at 2,49,000 GRT and since then concerted efforts have brought the Indian tonnage to 1.4 million GRT. Since 1951, the expansion of Indian Shipping has been governed by the targets and the financial allocations given in the successive Five Year Plans. In spite of numerous handicaps, such as competition from foreign shipping companies which were firmly entrenched in the industry and the foreign exchange difficulties inherent in the purchase of ships from abroad, it is significant that whatever targets were fixed for this industry have not only been fully achieved but exceeded in the Third Five Year Plan. Thus, from a modest beginning of a fleet with a quarter of a million GRT, India crossed the one million-ton mark by the end of 1962 and thus attained majority.
Her fleet, which ranges today from small coastal vessels of about 500 to 1000 GRT to large-size tankers of 53,000 GRT, plies on various trading routes, particularly in the India – U.K. – Continent, India – Persian Gulf, India – Australia, India – Far East, India – USSR, and India – USA trades. The fleet is both modern and balanced and has all types of vessels under the Indian flag, such as, tankers, tramps, liners, bulk carriers, passenger ships and coastal vessels.
India has now rightly taken her place among the maritime nations of the world and occupies the presidentship of the Assembly of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation which is a specialised agency of the United Nations.