New Delhi (01.05.2025): The Government of India constituted the National Shipping Board (NSB) with effect from 30 April 2025. The board comprising sixteen members includes Sameer Kumar Khare (Retd IAS: 1989: AM) as its Chairman. Khare replaces former Shipping Secretary Dr. Sanjeev Ranjan (Retd IAS: 1985: TR) who was picked as Chairman of NSB immediately after his retirement on January 31, 2023.
It may be underlined that S K Khare worked as an Additional Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs (Govt of India) and was appointed as Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila in September 2020. Khare holds a B. Tech degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai.
The National Shipping Board (NSB), an advisory body for Indian shipping, was established on March 1, 1959, under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. It is a statutory body that advises the Government of India on matters related to shipping and its development. The NSB is reconstituted every two years.
In addition to S K Khare as Chairman the list of members goes as follows:
- Ajithkumar Sukumaran, Chief Surveyor, DG of Shipping, Mumbai.
- In-charge of Marine Administration Wing, Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways.
- A representative of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (not below the rank of Joint Secretary)
- A representative of Indian Navy (Not below the rank of Director).
- A representative of Indian Coast Guard (Not below the rank of Director).
- Rakesh Singh, Secretary, representative of Indian Coastal Conference Shipping Association (ICCSA)
- Anil Laxman Devli, CEO, representative of Indian National Ship- owners Association (INSA)
- Rahul Modi, representative of Coastal Container Transports Association (CCTA)
- Milind Kandalgaonkar, General Secretary-cum-Treasurer, National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI).
- Captain Tushar Pradhan, General Secretary of the Maritime Union of India (MUI),
- Arun Sharma, Executive Chairman Indian Registrar of Shipping (IRS) Mumbai.
- CMD, Cochin Shipyard Limited
- Dr. K. Murali, Professor, Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT, Madras,
- Sanjam Sahi Gupta, Director, Sitara Shipping Ltd.
- Shantanu Kalita, Advisor, IPA
