ANCHOR
INDEPENDENT MARITIME REVIEW
NOT A SYMBOL
A PROFESSIONAL
WOMEN AT SEA
AND THE QUIET
STRUCTURAL
SHIFT IN
MARITIME
NINE DAYS. ONE MARITIME COMMUNITY.
INSIDE STORY
MARCH 2026
ISSUE 01
MPL SEASON 5
WHEN MARINERS BUILT
THEIR OWN GAME
05
09
Table Of
Contents
MPL Season 5: When Mariners Built
Their Own Game
India’s Seafaring Reality: The Numbers
Behind the Profession
A structured national cricket championship demonstrating maritime
discipline, organisation, and community beyond contracts.
Analysis of official DGS data examining workforce growth, risk
patterns, gender distribution, and structural shifts in Indian seafaring.
11
DG Shipping Activates 24×7 Crisis Response
Mechanism for Seafarers
An institutional emergency framework activated to safeguard seafarers
during heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
12
Not a Symbol - A Professional: Women at Sea
and the Quiet Structural Shift in Maritime
Examining whether maritime structures have evolved beyond inclusion
policies toward consistent integration of women across fleets.
15
Cadet Research Feature: Is Methanol Really a
Sustainable Marine Fuel?
Route-based lifecycle analysis questioning whether methanol reduces
emissions or redistributes carbon intensity upstream.
20
Pressure Starts on Day One: Why Junior
Seafarers May Be the Most Vulnerable at Sea
A closer look at vulnerability, hierarchy, mentorship, and
psychological pressure experienced by cadets and junior officers.
Anchor
Magazine
23
28
Table Of
Contents
From Sea to Startup: Why Seafarers Are
Choosing a Different Horizon
Life Between Contracts: The Adjustment
Nobody Talks About
Profiles of officers building ventures ashore, applying maritime
discipline and systems thinking beyond shipboard roles.
Exploring the logistical, financial, and psychological realities of
seafarers leave within a rotational profession.
Anchor
Magazine
Maritime Directory: Jobs, Courses, Events,
Services, Marine Suppliers
A dedicated industry listing section featuring verified vacancies,
training institutes, services, suppliers, and maritime announcements.
32
This first edition marks the start of that effort. It is
intentional, considered, and built with care. ANCHOR
exists to document lived experience, not headlines,
and to give shape to conversations that usually remain
scattered or unheard.
The maritime industry is disciplined, global, and
resilient, yet much of its everyday reality goes
unrecorded. Careers change quietly. Communities
form outside contracts. Identity extends beyond rank
and designation. This issue reflects those shifts
through stories grounded in people, not positions, and
moments that reveal who we are when we step ashore.
ANCHOR is free to read and independent by design.
Editorial pages carry no advertisements and no
external influence. Where notices or listings appear,
they are clearly separated and do not shape editorial
choices. As editor, my role is to protect this space,
make careful decisions, and ensure that every story
published here earns its place. This is the beginning.
What follows will evolve with time, trust, and
participation. The direction is set, but the voices will
shape what ANCHOR becomes.
ANCHOR begins with a simple belief,
that the maritime world deserves a
space where stories are told without
agenda, without noise, and without
hierarchy.
Editor
Notes
WELCOME TO
ANCHOR MAGAZINE
04
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
C/E Amit Khareta
Editor, ANCHOR
05
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
MPL Season 5:
When Mariners Built
Their Own Game
Across nine competitive days in Gurgaon, from 6 to 14
December, something rare unfolded quietly in Indian
sport. The Maritime Premier League (MPL), now in its
fifth
season,
delivered
more
than
a
cricket
tournament. It delivered proof that India’s maritime
community can conceive, organize, and sustain a
national sporting platform of real scale - without
shortcuts, and without compromise.
Seventeen teams. Thirty-seven matches. Two hundred
and
fifty-five
players.
More
than
a
hundred
participants travelled from across the country to
compete. Every match was played in full-format,
leather-ball T20 cricket - not a casual corporate
knockabout, but a championship that demanded
fitness, preparation, and discipline. In maritime
circles, there is nothing comparable.
MPL Season 5 was not loud. It did not rely on
celebrity. But it was serious. And seriousness, in this
industry, matters.
Most corporate cricket in India chooses convenience:
shortened
formats,
weekend
fixtures,
limited
commitment. MPL chose the harder path. Leather-
ball T20 over nine consecutive days, with teams
representing maritime hubs across the country -
Mumbai,
Chennai,
Cochin,
Jaipur,
Lucknow,
Dehradun, Chandigarh, and the NCR.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANCHOR MEDIA
WHY MPL IS DIFFERENT
06
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
• 17 teams from key maritime centres across India
• 37 matches played over 9 consecutive days
• 255 players, with 100+ travelling from outside Gurgaon
• Full leather-ball T20 format, rare even in corporate
sport
Why MPL Is Different
Individual performances
BY THE NUMBERS
This was Season 5. Consistency, year after year, is
what separates a novelty from an institution.
That decision reflects something deeper about the
maritime profession itself. Life at sea is built on
endurance, planning, teamwork, and respect for
structure. MPL mirrors those values on land.
Preparation mattered. Availability mattered. Showing
up for the full tournament mattered.
In doing so, MPL has evolved into more than a
sporting event. It has become a meeting ground -
where shipowners, managers, seafarers, technical
staff, and shore professionals share the same field,
governed by the same rules, judged by the same
standards.
Individual performances stood out not through
theatrics, but through consistency. Ajinkya Lad of
Mumbai
Mariners
emerged
as
Player
of
the
Tournament, leading both batting and bowling charts -
a
rare
dual
contribution
that
underlined
the
competitive depth MPL has reached. Performances
from Ribin, Abhik, Anurag, Shailam, and Srinath
reinforced
the
same
message:
this
was
not
participation cricket. This was performance cricket.
MPL isn’t just about cricket. It’s
about proving that the maritime
community can build serious
institutions beyond ships.
Competition and Excellence
The quality of cricket reflected the seriousness of
intent. Mumbai Mariner Cricket Club lifted the Gold
Trophy after defeating Shore Fleet. Synergy Chennai
secured the Silver Trophy, overcoming OSM Thome,
while UMMS claimed third place.
The margins were competitive, the standards were
high, and the results were earned over nine
demanding days rather than decided in a single
moment.
What MPL Really Represents
Strip away the scores and standings, and MPL’s real
value becomes clear. It builds community - bringing
together professionals who usually meet only through
emails, audits, or contracts.
It celebrates merit - where performance is measured,
not assumed.
It reflects maritime standards - discipline, preparation,
teamwork, and accountability.
And it offers something the industry often neglects: a
shared space beyond ships.
For a profession defined by long separations and
rotating contracts, that space matters more than we
often admit.
07
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
Season 5 proves the model works. The challenge now is
growth with care.
The Organisation Behind MPL
LOOKING AHEAD
Institutional support, long-term partnerships, and
better storytelling can help MPL expand without
diluting its core. More teams and cities will come.
What must remain unchanged is the seriousness that
made MPL credible in the first place.
India’s maritime community has built something rare:
a sporting platform that reflects who it is, rather than
who it wants to impress. Five seasons in, MPL is no
longer an experiment. It is a fixture.
The rest of the industry should take note.
MPL Season 5 was organised by the Delhi NCR
Mariners Society, whose sustained effort over five
seasons has shaped the league into a structured
national platform. Lead organiser Mr. Tushar Sharma,
along with the Society’s founding members, ensured
the discipline, coordination, and continuity that define
the tournament today.
The scale of Season 5 reflects not a one-time success,
but consistent commitment from within the maritime
community itself.
08
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
2025
MPL
09
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
India’s Seafaring Reality:
The Numbers Behind the
Profession
This marks a sustained upward trajectory in
national maritime employment, with steady
recovery following the global pandemic
disruption.
395% Growth
Increase in active seafarers between 2010 and 2025.
The workforce has expanded nearly fourfold over a 15-year period - a
structural transformation rather than a temporary spike.
31% Growth
Between 2019 and 2024 alone.
Despite a dip during the COVID period, the sector rebounded strongly,
reflecting resilient global demand for Indian maritime manpower.
As per official Directorate
General of Shipping (DGS)
data, India’s maritime
workforce has expanded
significantly over the past
decade, reinforcing its
position as one of the
world’s leading suppliers of
seafarers.
3.07 LAKH | ACTIVE INDIAN
SEAFARERS IN 2025.
10
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
Reported fatalities peaked during the pandemic period before declining in
subsequent years, reflecting improvements in monitoring, compliance
enforcement, and structured reporting.
Natural causes remain the leading category, followed by onboard incidents.
The 30–50 age group shows the highest exposure to occupational risk - likely
due to workload intensity and mid-career deployment frequency.
67.3%
Nautical Department
32.7%
Engineering Department
The data reflects a strong deck-side presence, while
engineering roles continue to show stable technical
demand.
64%
Ratings
36%
Officers
Ratings form the operational backbone of Indian
seafaring, while officer strength remains critical for
command continuity and fleet leadership.
Women in Maritime
1.9% of active Indian seafarers
are women. Roughly 1 in every
50 Indian seafarers is female.
270% Growth Increase between
2020 and 2024.
RISK AND SAFETY SNAPSHOT
WORKFORCE COMPOSITION
Source: Directorate General of
Shipping (DGS), Official Data 2024–
2025.
11
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
DG Shipping Activates 24×7
Crisis Response Mechanism
for Seafarers
In view of the evolving security situation in the Persian
Gulf region, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS),
Mumbai, has constituted a dedicated 24×7 Quick
Response
Team
to
ensure
timely
assistance,
coordination, and welfare support for Indian seafarers.
The initiative has been activated under the leadership
of Shri Shyam Jagannathan, Director General of
Shipping,
reflecting
a
coordinated
institutional
response.
The response framework establishes structured shift-
based contact points to address crisis situations,
grievances,
and
emergency
coordination
requirements. The team will coordinate with Shipping
Companies, RPSL entities, Indian Missions abroad,
port authorities, and families, as required.
Email: support.dgs@gov.in
WhatsApp / Calls: +91 9004048406
Shift-Based Contact Points
0700 – 1500 hours
Somesh Kokate – 8451998483
1500 – 2200 hours
Murari Rupesh – 9518747611
2200 – 0700 hours
Yash Desai – 9168269916
The order directs all concerned offices and officials to
extend full cooperation to ensure uninterrupted and
efficient execution of responsibilities during this
period. The mechanism will remain active until
further instructions are issued by the competent
authority.
India remains committed to safeguarding the safety,
welfare, and well-being of its seafarers.
Source: Directorate General of Shipping Order dated
02 March 2026.
24×7 DG COMM CENTRE –
FIRST POINT OF CONTACT
For years, conversations about women at sea were framed as
novelty.
A rare presence. An exception. A headline.
That framing no longer holds. Women sailing today are not
symbolic placements on a roster.
12
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
Not a Symbol - A
Professional:
Women at Sea and the
Quiet Structural Shift in
Maritime
They are watchkeepers,
engineers, officers, cadets
—
The more interesting story is no longer whether
women belong at sea.
It is whether the industry has structurally adapted to
their presence.
Maritime training institutes across India now see
growing
female
enrollment.
Companies
publicly
commit to diversity targets. Government bodies
reference gender inclusion in policy language.
But inclusion is a policy. Integration is operational.
Integration means:
– Appropriate onboard facilities
– Clear harassment reporting channels
– Standardized deployment policies
– Performance evaluated without bias
– Mentorship without patronizing tone
– Equal access to promotion pathways and command
tracks
It means gender becomes administratively irrelevant -
because competence becomes the only metric.
13
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
ROUTINE, NOT NARRATIVE
The ocean does not adjust its standards for gender.
Professionalism at sea is measured the same way -
through competence, discipline, and accountability.
The daily routine onboard does not change
because of gender.
Watch schedules remain fixed.
Maintenance cycles continue.
Drills are conducted.
Cargo operations proceed.
Steel
and
saltwater
do
not
adjust
expectations.
And that is precisely the point.
The presence of women at sea is not about
reshaping the profession. It is about proving
that the profession’s core standards are
universal.
Navigation requires precision.
Engineering demands discipline.
Leadership requires calm.
These are not gendered traits.
Progress exists. But structure still matters.
Certain vessel types remain less accessible. Long-
standing cultural assumptions persist in pockets of
the industry. Informal onboard dynamics sometimes
evolve more slowly than formal policy.
The challenge is no longer opportunity. It is
consistency.
An industry that prides itself on compliance cannot
afford inconsistency in integration.
Progress is not measured by
announcements. It is measured
by retention, promotion
pathways, and consistency
across vessels. Structural
integration, not symbolic
visibility, defines real change.
STRUCTURE, NOT SYMBOLISM
Mariner becomes unremarkable.
Not newsworthy. Not exceptional. Not symbolic.
Simply another professional holding command.
When leadership at sea no longer invites commentary based on
gender, but only on performance, the transition will be complete.
And perhaps that is the point - progress is achieved not when
inclusion is announced, but when it no longer needs to be.
14
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
The Anchor Perspective
—
ANCHOR does not view women at sea as a special
feature category.
They are part of the profession.
Their presence reflects evolution - not exception.
Maritime
has
always
demanded
resilience,
adaptability, and technical competence. As the
industry modernizes - technologically and culturally -
it must ensure that its structures match its stated
principles.
The ocean does not distinguish.
Neither should opportunity.
And perhaps the strongest signal of progress will be
the day this topic no longer requires a headline at all.
BEYOND OPTICS
It is easy to celebrate a photograph. It is harder to normalize a presence.
True progress will not be measured by promotional campaigns or International Women’s Day posts.
It will be measured by:
– Retention rates
– Promotion timelines
– Command appointments
– Shore-based leadership roles
It will be measured by whether policies
translate into consistent practice across
fleets - not just flagship vessels.
The real test is whether a female Master
15
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
Cadet Research Feature:
Is Methanol Really a
Sustainable Marine Fuel?
Walk into any maritime conference today and you’ll
hear one word everywhere: methanol.
Shipowners are ordering methanol-ready vessels.
Engine manufacturers are adapting designs. Major
container lines are announcing dual-fuel strategies.
But here’s the real question: Is methanol actually
sustainable - or are we simply shifting emissions
elsewhere?
Let’s break it down.
Most discussions about marine fuels focus on what
comes out of the funnel.
Less smoke. Lower sulfur. Cleaner combustion. That’s
fine. But shipping does not start at the funnel. Fuel
has a story before it reaches the bunker tank:
Electricity generation. Hydrogen production. CO₂
capture. Transport. Storage. Bunkering.
When all of that is included, we are discussing well-to-
wake
emissions,
not
merely
tank-to-wake
performance. And that’s where things become
complicated.
Editor’s Note: The following
article is a condensed editorial
version of a longer academic
research study conducted by the
cadet. ANCHOR presents this
feature to encourage evidence-
based discussion within the
maritime community.
B.Tech Final Year Cadet | AMET
Azizur Rahman
16
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
Instead of relying on generic global averages, this
research anchored the analysis to a real trade
corridor:
Shanghai to Rotterdam.
Why this route? Because the Asia–Europe corridor is
one of the busiest container trade lanes in the world. If
methanol works here, its relevance extends globally.
The study combined three elements that are often
evaluated separately:
1.Electricity mix used for methanol production
2.Fuel transport and bunkering emissions along the
route
3.Shipboard operational penalties
The third element is critical. Methanol has lower
volumetric energy density. That means:
• Larger fuel storage requirements
• Potential cargo space penalties
• Adjustments in propulsion efficiency
Methanol is not inherently
green. It is conditionally green -
and that condition lies outside
the ship.
Methanol checks several practical boxes:
• Liquid at ambient conditions
• Easier handling compared to LNG
• Compatible with modified internal combustion engines
• Already being adopted by major container operators
Operationally, it fits. But climate impact is not decided by convenience. It is
decided by numbers.
WHY METHANOL LOOKS
ATTRACTIVE
WHAT THIS STUDY DID
DIFFERENTLY
17
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
If methanol is produced from fossil sources, lifecycle emissions reductions are marginal. Combustion may appear
cleaner, but upstream emissions significantly offset the benefit.
This suggests that fossil methanol is not a long-term decarbonization solution. At best, it may function as a short-
term compliance mechanism.
So instead of asking, “Is methanol cleaner per kilogram?” the study asked:
How much CO₂e is emitted per TEU per kilometer of actual transport
work?
That is a fundamentally different metric.
FOSSIL METHANOL: A REALITY CHECK
BIO-METHANOL AND E-METHANOL: CONDITIONAL BENEFITS
E-methanol can deliver substantial emissions reductions - but only under one condition: The electricity used in
production must be low-carbon.
If hydrogen production relies on coal-based grids, the climate benefit collapses. If powered by renewable-heavy
grids, lifecycle emissions improve dramatically.
The same fuel can therefore perform very differently depending on geography. Fuel sustainability becomes grid-
dependent. That shifts the focus of maritime decarbonization beyond the ship itself - to the electricity system
behind the fuel.
18
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
THE HIDDEN OPERATIONAL PENALTY
Even when upstream production is clean, onboard realities matter. Methanol requires greater storage volume than
conventional marine fuels. This may result in:
• Reduced cargo capacity
• Vessel design adjustments
• Efficiency penalties
When emissions are measured per TEU·km, these operational impacts reduce net benefits unless upstream
conditions are favorable. The climate equation is therefore not purely chemical - it is operational.
THE BREAK-EVEN QUESTION
A key contribution of this research is break-even electricity intensity analysis. In simple terms: At what electricity
carbon intensity does e-methanol outperform conventional marine fuels on a well-to-wake basis?
Not all power grids are equal. An e-methanol facility in a renewable-dominant region performs very differently from
one in a coal-dominated region. Fuel sustainability is geography-dependent. That represents a significant shift in
how alternative fuels should be evaluated.
SO, IS METHANOL SUSTAINABLE?
The honest answer: It depends.
• Fossil methanol offers limited lifecycle advantage
• Bio-methanol depends on feedstock sustainability
• E-methanol can deliver deep reductions - but only with low-carbon electricity and efficient logistics
Methanol is not inherently green. It is conditionally green. And that condition lies largely outside the ship.
19
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR SHIPOWNERS AND POLICYMAKERS
For shipowners investing in methanol-fueled vessels, the key question is not simply: “Can my engine burn it?”
The better question is: “Where is this methanol produced - and what electricity powered it?”
For policymakers, the implications are clear:
• Market mechanisms must incorporate well-to-wake accounting
• Incentives should reward low-carbon electricity intensity
• Infrastructure planning must align with regional grid realities
Decarbonization cannot be achieved by fuel switching alone. It requires system-level design.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Methanol may play a role in maritime energy transition. But treating it as a universal solution carries risk.
This research reframes methanol as a transition fuel whose value depends on production pathway, electricity mix,
and operational efficiency. If those conditions are ignored, infrastructure investments may lock in suboptimal
climate performance.
If properly evaluated, methanol could support a meaningful transition. The difference lies in how rigorously
emissions are measured. And that is where well-to-wake analysis stops being academic. It becomes strategic.
ANCHOR PERSPECTIVE
Lifecycle transparency will increasingly define the credibility of maritime decarbonization strategies. As
alternative fuels scale, upstream energy intensity and operational efficiency will determine whether climate claims
translate into measurable reductions. Research such as this highlights the need to evaluate fuels as integrated
energy systems rather than isolated combustion solutions.
20
MAR 2026
Anchor Magazine
Pressure Starts on Day One:
Why Junior Seafarers May
Be the Most Vulnerable at
Sea
Every time a serious incident happens at sea, a
difficult question surfaces quietly in the background.
Why is it so often a cadet or a junior officer?
Perhaps it is a coincidence. Shipping is complex. Risk
does not discriminate by rank. But anyone who has
spent time on board knows that vulnerability is not
distributed equally.
Hierarchy at sea is clear, defined, and necessary.
Experience
determines
authority.
Responsibility
increases with rank. That structure keeps ships
moving safely across oceans. Yet within that same
structure, the most junior members of the crew often
carry pressures that are rarely acknowledged openly.
For many cadets and junior officers, their first
contract is not just a job. It is their first extended
separation from home. Their first exposure to rigid
hierarchy. Their first encounter with operational
stress that does not pause at sunset.
They are eager to prove themselves.
They are careful not to complain.
They are learning in public, where mistakes feel
amplified.
And they are often unsure where the line lies between
resilience and silent struggle.