Merchant Navy courses and fees in India

Every officer and rating in the Indian Merchant Navy starts with a pre-sea course approved by DGMA (formerly DG Shipping). The fees below are what DGS-approved institutes publish on their own websites. They are ranges across institutes, not a single official fee — DGMA does not set course fees.

Course	Who can apply	Duration	Published fees
Diploma in Nautical Science (DNS)	Class 12 PCM (60%), or B.Sc. Physics, or any B.E./B.Tech. Deck officer.	1 year + 18 months at sea	₹2.5 lakh – ₹7 lakh
B.Sc. Nautical Science	Class 12 PCM (60%). Deck officer, through IMU-CET.	3 years	₹4.65 lakh – ₹9.25 lakh
Graduate Marine Engineering (GME)	B.E. Mechanical or Naval Architecture (50%). Marine engineer officer.	1 year	₹4 lakh – ₹6.42 lakh
B.Tech Marine Engineering	Class 12 PCM (60%). Marine engineer officer, through IMU-CET.	4 years	₹26.97 lakh
Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) pre-sea course	Electrical or electronics diploma or degree (50%). Electro-technical officer.	About 4 months	₹2.25 lakh – ₹4.5 lakh
GP Rating (General Purpose Rating) course	Class 10 (40%). Deck or engine rating.	6 months	₹2.2 lakh – ₹4.86 lakh

Whole-course fees as published by institutes on 31 October 2026. Some include hostel, uniform and IMU fees and some do not; each course page lists what every institute includes.

Before you pay any institute

• Check that the institute and the course are approved by DGMA. The DGMA website lists approved institutes and their inspection grades.
• Ask in writing what the fee includes: hostel and food, uniform, books, the basic STCW safety courses, IMU registration and exam fees, and the caution deposit.
• Ask whether the batch is company-sponsored, which company, and what happens if you are not placed on a ship after the course.
• Have your eyesight and colour vision checked before you pay. The formal pre-sea medical by a DGMA-approved examiner comes after selection, and an unfit result there ends the route for you.