Origin

Training of personnel, both in technical and commercial aspects is extremely essential for the successful functioning of any industry. With the growth of Indian Merchant Marine, gradually emerged T.S. DUFFERIN (subsequently replaced by T.S. RAJENDRA and now T.S. CHANKYA), Directorate of Marine Engineering (DMET) (now called Marine Engineering & Research in India – MERI), Lal Bahadur Shastri Nautical and Engineering College (now called LBS College of Advance Maritime Studies & Research – LBS CAMSAR) and other institutions for training navigating officers, marine engineers and ratings.
There was, however, no structured mechanism in our country to train personnel for the commercial operations related to shipping. Persons seeking professional qualifications in chartering and shipbroking used to appear for examinations conducted annually by foreign institutions. Thus there was a dire need for an Indian Institution for training of personnel in commercial aspects and management of shipping particularly in the wake of expansion of Indian Merchant Marine and Shipping activities in our country.

The National Shipping Board, which is the highest level advisory body in shipping, set up under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, recommended to the Government of India, for the establishment of an autonomous institution for training personnel and conducting examinations on the commercial aspects of shipping and for helping the shipping industry by undertaking necessary research into various problems facing the industry. The Government accepted this recommendation.
Precisely to fill up this need, an Institute of Shipping named after late Shri Narottam Morarjee, in recognition of his great pioneering contributions to Indian shipping, was established on 3rd January, 1969 under the joint auspices of the Government of India and the Indian Shipping Industry. The Institute is registered under the Societies Registration Act as well as under the Bombay Public Trust Act.