India Unveils Indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System, Boosting Maritime Self-Reliance

By A Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has announced a significant milestone in India’s maritime modernisation efforts with the development of the country’s first Indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS). Created through a collaboration between the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, the system marks a major step toward maritime self-reliance.

According to the ministry, the indigenously developed VTMS provides India with complete strategic control over its source code, operational data and overall system management—an essential capability in an era where digital security and autonomy are critical to port operations. Designed as a secure, open-source and fully scalable platform, the system can be expanded and adapted to meet the needs of ports of varying sizes across the country.