Explainer: India became the king of ship recycling, know how sea junk became ‘gold’ for the country; As precious?

India Becomes Ship Recycling Hub: India has made a big achievement in its name. The country has reached the top in the world in terms of recycling of ships. India’s share in ship recycling has reached 35.4 percent, which is the highest in the world. The country had recycled 29.9 lakh grass tonnes in the year 2025 and 18.6 lakh grass tonnes in the year 2024.

In the name of this big achievement of India, let us tell you what is recycling of ships? How is it done? And how important is this achievement for the country? Apart from India, which are the countries that recycle ships? What are the advantages and disadvantages of recycling?

What is ship recycling?

In simple words, dismantling a huge ship safely and cutting its parts and selling them in the market is called recycling. In this, the ship’s iron is cut and melted. Apart from this, the furniture, electrical equipment, engine and other fittings present in the ship are cut and separated. It is a difficult and dangerous job. Because in this both environment and safety have to be taken care of.

When is recycling done?

When a ship running on water completes 25 to 30 years of its service and its operation becomes unsafe and expensive. Shipping companies then retire such ships. In such a situation, the process of reusing iron and other valuable items from these old ships is called ship recycling or ship breaking.

How many stages does recycling take?

Ship recycling takes place in several stages (AI generated photo)

A ship goes through several stages during recycling.

• bring to shore: First of all the ship is pulled from the sea and brought to the shore. So that it becomes stable in the sand.
• Taking out hazardous substances: In the second phase, oil, diesel and dangerous chemicals present inside the ship are taken out. This is very important to protect the environment.
• Ship Cutting: After this, the work of cutting and separating the upper part of the ship is done by trained laborers with the help of gas cutter. After this the entire ship is divided into small pieces.
• Classification of Materials: After this the iron taken out of the ship is sent to steel mills. While the remaining goods and furniture are sold in the market.

How did India become the king of recycling?

Major reasons for India becoming the center of ship recycling (AI generated photo)

India has been doing ship recycling work on a large scale for a long time. India also has the world’s largest ship breaking yard, located at Alang, Gujarat.

• Alang Ship Breaking Yard: Alang in Gujarat is considered to be the world’s largest ship recycling centre. There are more than 150 active yards operating here.
• Adherence to international standards: India has developed safe and environment-friendly recycling systems in line with the Hong Kong Convention. Recently an investment of Rs 53.5 crore has been made on the modernization of 115 yards.
• Skilled and economical labour:India has a trained and relatively low-cost labor force available, which gives a competitive edge to this industry.
• Increasing demand for steel: There is a huge demand for steel in the country due to infrastructure projects and construction activities. The steel obtained from ship recycling is estimated to meet about 10 percent of India’s total steel requirement.
• Strong legal framework: The enactment of the Ship Recycling Act, 2019 provided legal strength to the industry and increased confidence of foreign shipowners.

Increased focus on environment and safety

There was a time when ship breaking was considered polluting and dangerous. But now times have changed and now emphasis is being given on green ship recycling. Under this, the oil and waste coming out of the ship is not directly dumped into the sea. Workers are given all the necessary safety kits and risk assessments are done at every step.

Recycling of ships is not only benefiting the iron industry, but it also provides employment opportunities to millions of people associated with it. Thousands of families in Alang, Gujarat are directly and indirectly dependent on it. Besides, this industry also contributes millions of dollars to the country’s GDP. Apart from this, it is also a good way to save natural resources. Because it is less expensive and less polluting than iron coming from the ground.

Top 5 countries in the world in ship recycling

The center of the ship recycling industry globally is mainly South Asia. According to available data and industry trends for the year 2023-24, the top five countries in the world in the field of ship recycling include India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey and China.

Future challenges and opportunities

The industry will face new challenges in the coming years

• Recycling of electric and alternative fuel ships
• Making environmental standards more stringent
• use of modern technologies
• Strengthening worker protections

On the other hand, the opportunities are also big. It is estimated that more than 16,000 ships worldwide will be out of service in the next 10 years. India’s current capacity is to recycle 500-600 ships and the government is working towards increasing it further.

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Ship recycling is a great example of a circular economy, where old resources are transformed into new economic value. India becoming number one in the world in this field is not just an industrial achievement but also an important step towards maritime trade, green economy and self-reliant India. This success shows that India is continuously strengthening its role in the global maritime industry and can become an even bigger center in this sector in the future.