Union Minister inaugurates state-of-the-art Mercantile Marine Department office in Visakhapatnam

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday inaugurated the newly constructed office of the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) in Visakhapatnam.

The state-of-the-art facility is aimed at strengthening maritime governance, improving regulatory efficiency, and enhancing service delivery for the shipping and seafaring community in the region.

Equipped with modern infrastructure including examination halls, auditoriums, and administrative blocks, the office will facilitate statutory functions such as ship registration, statutory surveys and inspections, seafarer certification under the STCW Code, and institutional oversight.