Alang‑Sosiya Cluster Drives India’s Record Growth in Vessel Scrapping
New Delhi, August 11 – The Alang‑Sosiya ship recycling cluster, located on Gujarat’s coast, has emerged as the backbone of India’s meteoric rise in the global ship‑scrapping arena. Official figures released in a government fact sheet show that the cluster now handles about 98 percent of the nation’s ship recycling operations, with an annual capacity close to six million gross tonnes.
In 2025, India’s global market share in ship recycling surged to 35.4 percent, up from 30.1 percent the year before, according to the latest UNCTAD report. The total tonnage processed leapt from 1.86 million GT in 2024 to 2.99 million GT in 2025 – a jump of roughly 60 percent that underscores the cluster’s efficiency and scale.
Alang‑Sosiya’s prowess stems from its integrated ecosystem: authorised ship‑breaking yards, downstream steel re‑rolling mills, and a robust waste‑management network enable the conversion of about 3.5 million metric tonnes of steel each year without tapping new natural resources. Ongoing modernization initiatives have transformed the hub into India’s primary interface with the worldwide ship recycling market.
The government’s Maritime India Vision 2030 blueprint envisages doubling the country’s recycling capacity to approximately nine million light displacement tons. This target will be met through a comprehensive master plan that prioritises infrastructure upgrades, advanced recycling technologies and heightened competitiveness.
Workforce development is also a cornerstone of the strategy. More than 150,000 labourers have completed safety, hazardous‑material handling and emergency response training at Alang‑Sosiya’s dedicated institute. Additional yards in Kolkata and Kerala augment the nation’s overall capacity, reinforcing India’s position as the world leader in sustainable ship dismantling.
The achievements signal a transformative phase for India’s maritime and industrial sectors, positioning the country at the forefront of the global ship recycling market.