There are two ways to go to sea — as an officer or as a rating — and they have entirely different entry requirements, training lengths and costs. This page sets out every legitimate route, what each one needs, and what it leads to. Every course named here is one DG Shipping actually approves institutes to run.
The merchant navy is the commercial shipping fleet — the tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, gas carriers and offshore vessels that move most of what the world trades. It is not the Navy; it is civilian employment with a shipping company or a manning agent, on contracts that typically run four to nine months at sea followed by leave.
Indian seafarers crew a substantial share of the world fleet, and recruitment is regulated: companies that recruit for shipboard service must hold an RPSL licence, and the institutes that train seafarers must be approved by the Directorate General of Shipping. You can check both — every RPSL company and every approved institute are listed here with their licence numbers.
Everything else follows from this one.
| Officer | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum education | 10+2 with PCM, 60% average | 10th pass |
| IMU-CET | Required | Not required |
| Pre-sea training | 1 to 4 years | 6 months |
| Progresses to | Master or Chief Engineer | Bosun, Fitter; officer certification later with sea service |
A rating is not a dead end. With sea service a rating can work towards officer certification, and DG Shipping introduced a six-month competency course in 2026 specifically for deck ratings preparing for the Second Mate examination. It is a longer road, but it exists.
The deck department navigates the ship and handles cargo, progressing Third Officer, Second Officer, Chief Officer, Master. The engine department runs the machinery, progressing Fourth Engineer, Third, Second, Chief Engineer. There is a third route, the Electro Technical Officer, responsible for the electrical and electronic systems that now run most of a modern ship.
You choose at the point of entry, and changing later means starting again. Deck suits people who want navigation, cargo work and eventual command. Engine suits people who want machinery and systems.
| Course | Length | Entry | IMU-CET | Leads to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNS | 1 year | 10+2 PCM 60% | Yes | Deck officer |
| B.Sc Nautical Science | 3 years | 10+2 PCM 60% | Yes | Deck officer |
| B.Tech Marine Engineering | 4 years | 10+2 PCM 60% | Yes | Marine engineer |
| GME | 1 year | Mechanical engineering degree | No | Marine engineer |
| ATS | 3 years | First year of mechanical engineering | No | Marine engineer |
| ETO | 4 months | Electrical or electronics qualification | No | Electro Technical Officer |
| GP Rating | 6 months | 10th pass | No | Rating, deck or engine |
| Maritime Catering | 6 months | 10th pass, 40% | No | Ship's cook or steward |
If you have PCM at 10+2 and can sit IMU-CET, the officer routes are open. If you do not, or you have missed the exam, the ratings routes are genuine careers rather than consolation prizes — and they start sooner and cost less.
IMU-CET is not only for IMU campuses. Under DG Shipping Training Circular 12 of 2020, private and affiliated institutes also admit on IMU-CET rank for DNS, B.Sc Nautical Science and B.Tech Marine Engineering. Full details, dates and eligibility.
IMU's published annual fee for B.Tech, B.Sc Nautical Science and DNS at its own campuses is ₹2,75,000 for 2026-27, plus a ₹10,000 counselling fee and a ₹30,000 refundable caution deposit.
Private institutes set their own fees, and they vary a great deal. Ratings courses cost substantially less than the officer programmes. Before committing to any institute, check it is on the DG Shipping approved list and that it is approved for the specific course you are paying for — approval is per course, not blanket.
Every seagoing route requires medical fitness certified by a DG Shipping approved doctor, under the Merchant Shipping (Medical Examination) Rules, 2000. Vision and colour vision standards are strict: for Nautical Science, 6/6 unaided in the better eye and 6/9 in the other, with normal colour vision.
Get this checked before you pay anyone anything. Colour blindness in particular is common, frequently undiagnosed, and disqualifying for the deck route.
This industry has a persistent problem with agents who charge for things that are free, or promise what they cannot deliver. A few things that are always true:
Course approvals and institute status come from the Directorate General of Shipping. Fees and eligibility for IMU campuses are from the Indian Maritime University Prospectus 2026-27. Fees at private institutes are set by those institutes.