India aims to recycle 16,000 ships in next decade: Union Minister Sonowal

India plans to recycle nearly 16,000 ships over the next decade, union ports, shipping, and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal said Tuesday.

In a statement issued after his meeting with European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall, Sonowal said the country has announced a financial commitment of $8 billion to support the growth of the shipbuilding and ship recycling sectors.

“More than 30 Indian ship recycling yards have applied for EU recognition,” the minister said. Six Indian yards are currently undergoing the compliance and approval process while three ship recycling facilities have successfully completed all required compliance procedures and are now eligible to apply for inclusion under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EUSRR) framework.


Sonowal said increasing the number of internationally recognised Indian recycling facilities would contribute significantly to the global circular economy.

Both sides reviewed the progress made in facilitating the inclusion of Indian ship recycling facilities under the EUSRR.

According to the latest UN Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) estimates, India's share in worldwide ship recycling increased from 30.1% in 2024 to 35.4% in 2025. The country recycled 2.99 million gross tons (GT) of ships during 2025, registering nearly 60% growth over 1.86 million GT recycled in 2024.

Commissioner Roswall welcomed the progress achieved so far and proposed establishing a Joint Working Group (JWG) comprising representatives from the Ministry of Environment and other relevant ministries and organisations to facilitate effective coordination and support the next phase of the process, the statement added.

The commissioner emphasised the importance of unannounced inspections in maintaining high standards of compliance, transparency and accountability, while noting that the matter would be discussed with EU member states during the autumn session before any final decision is taken.

She also expressed willingness to visit Indian ship recycling facilities after the consultation and assessment process is completed.