The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. It was started on 1 February 1977 and formally established on 18 August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India.[5] It operates under the Ministry of Defence.[6]
Indian Coast Guard | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | ICG |
Motto | वयम् रक्षामः (Sanskrit) Vayam Rakṣāmaḥ (ISO)[1] We Protect |
Agency overview | |
Formed | 18 August 1978 |
Employees | 13,842 sanctioned strength (2018–19)[2] |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | India |
Constituting instrument |
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Specialist jurisdiction |
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Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Indian Coast Guard Headquarters, New Delhi |
Agency executive |
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Parent agency | Ministry of Defence |
Facilities | |
Boats |
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Planes | 77 aircraft[4] |
Notables | |
Anniversary |
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Website | |
indiancoastguard |
The Coast Guard works in close cooperation with the Indian Navy, the Department of Fisheries, the Department of Revenue (Customs), and the Central Armed Police Forces, and the State Police Services.
The establishment of the Indian Coast Guard was first proposed by the Indian Navy to provide non-military maritime services to the nation.[7] In the 1960s, sea-borne smuggling of goods was threatening India's domestic economy. The Indian Customs Department frequently called upon the Indian Navy for assistance with patrol and interception in the anti-smuggling effort.
The Nagchaudhuri Committee was constituted with participation from the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force to study the problem. In August 1971, the committee identified the requirement to patrol India's vast coastline, set up a registry of offshore fishing vessels to identify illegal activity, and establish a capable and well-equipped force to intercept vessels engaged in illegal activities. The committee also looked at the number and nature of the equipment, infrastructure and personnel required to provide those services.[7]
By 1973, India had started a programme to acquire the equipment and started deputing personnel from the Indian Navy for these anti-smuggling and law enforcement tasks, under the provisions of the Maintenance of Internal Security Act. The Indian Navy sensed that the law enforcement nature of these duties diverged from its core mission as a military service. Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli, then Chief of Naval Staff, hence made a recommendation to the Defence Secretary outlining the need for a separate maritime service to undertake those duties and offering the Navy's assistance in its establishment. On 31 August 1974, the Defence Secretary submitted a note to the Cabinet Secretary proposing cabinet action on Admiral Kohli's recommendation.
As a result, in September 1974, the Indian cabinet set up the Rustamji Committee, under the chairmanship of Khusro Faramurz Rustamji, with participation from the Navy, the Air Force and the Department of Revenue to examine gaps in security and law enforcement between the roles of the Indian Navy and the central and state police forces. The discovery of oil off Bombay High further emphasised the need for a maritime law enforcement and protection service. The committee submitted its recommendation for the establishment of the Indian Coast Guard under the Ministry of Defence on 31 July 1975. Bureaucratic wrangling followed, with the Cabinet Secretary making a recommendation to place the service under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi overruled the Cabinet Secretary and decided to accept the original recommendation of the Rustamji Committee to place the service under the Ministry of Defence.[7]
An interim Indian Coast Guard came into being on 1 February 1977, equipped with two small corvettes and five patrol boats transferred from the Navy. The duties and functions of the service were formally defined in the Coast Guard Act, which was passed by India's parliament on 18 August 1978 and came into immediate effect.[5]
Vice Admiral V. A. Kamath of the Indian Navy was appointed the founding Director-General. Prime Minister Morarji Desai inspected the Guard of Honour at the service's inauguration. Vice Admiral Kamath proposed a five-year plan to develop the ICG into a potent force by 1984, but the full potential of this plan was not immediately realised due to an economic resource crunch.[7]
One of the historic operational successes of the ICG occurred in October 1999, with the recapture at high seas of a Panamanian-registered Japanese cargo ship, MV Alondra Rainbow, hijacked off Indonesia. Her crew were rescued off Phuket, Thailand. The ship had been repainted as MV Mega Rama, and was spotted off Kochi, heading towards Pakistan. She was chased by ICGS Tarabai and INS Prahar (K98) of the Indian Navy and apprehended.[8] It was the first successful prosecution of armed pirates in over a century.
The Indian Coast Guard conducts exercises with the other coast guards of the world. In May 2005, the ICG agreed to establish liaison links with the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA). In 2006, the Indian Coast Guard conducted exercises with its Japanese and Korean counterparts.
After the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which the terrorists entered India from Pakistan via the sea-route, the Indian government initiated a program to expand the ICG force, assets and infrastructure for enhanced protection and surveillance of Indian waters.
The force had aimed to have 200 ships and 100 twin-engined aircraft by 2023 in its fleet.[9]
The Indian Coast Guard's motto is "वयम रक्षामः" (Vayam Rakshamah), which translates from Sanskrit as "We Protect".
Missions of Indian Coast Guard:[10]
Additional responsibilities of the Indian Coast Guard:[11]
The Indian Coast Guard organisation is headed by the Director-General (DG ICG) who is located at Coast Guard Headquarters (CGHQ), New Delhi. At CGHQ, he is assisted by the Additional Director General Coast Guard (ADGCG) of the rank of ADG, four Deputy Director-Generals of the rank of Inspector-General, and other senior officers heading various staff divisions. The position is vacant since 18 August 2024 due to the death of Director General Rakesh Pal in harness.[12][13] The rank of Director General is equivalent to a Vice Admiral of Indian Navy.[14]
The Indian Coast Guard has the Western and Eastern Seaboard, both commanded by three-star officers designated Coast Guard Commander Western Seaboard and Coast Guard Commander Eastern Seaboard. The seaboards are in turn divided into four regions. A fifth region, Andaman & Nicobar Region reports directly to the DGICG. Each region is headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector-General. Each of the regions is further divided into multiple districts, typically covering a coastal state or a union territory.
Coast Guard Seaboards | HQ location | Seaboard Commander |
---|---|---|
Western Seaboard | Mumbai | ADG A.K Harbola, TM |
Eastern Seaboard | Visakapatanam |
Coast Guard regions | Regional HQ location | Regional commander |
---|---|---|
North-West Region (NW) | Gandhinagar | IG T Sashi Kumar, TM |
Western Region (W) | Mumbai | IG Bhisham Sharma, PTM TM |
Eastern Region (E) | Chennai | IG Donny Michael, TM(G) |
North-East Region (NE) | Kolkata | IG IS Chauhan, TM |
Andaman & Nicobar Region (A&N) | Port Blair | IG Neeraj Tiwari, TM |
As of 2023, the Indian Coast Guard operates:[15]
As of 2016, there are 42 Coast Guard stations which have been established along the coastline of the country.[16][17]
Indian Coast Guard is responsible for the execution of Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in Indian Search and Rescue Region (ISRR). To serve this purpose, ICG operates 3 Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC) in Mumbai, Chennai and Port Blair and 36 Maritime Rescue Sub Centres (MRSC/MRCSC), which operates under their respective MRCCs.[18]
On 5 November 2024, the Indian Coast Guard and the Telecommunications Consultants India (TICL) laid foundation of a full-fledged "Tier-3" Data Centre at Mahipalpur, Delhi. The construction will take 2 years. The project worth ₹588 crore (US$70 million) (including 5-year operational expenditure (opex) and a 2-year hardware warranty) will be carried out by TCIL, Yotta Infrastructure and Attero, a software solution company. This will help ICG for Command and Control over their 109 offices and 88 ships at once.[19][20]
Regional HQ | District HQ | Coast Guard Station |
---|---|---|
North-East Region (NE) CGRHQ Kolkata[21] | DHQ-7 Paradip | CGAE Bhubaneswar[22] |
ICGS Gopalpur[23] | ||
DHQ-8 Haldia | ICGS Frazerganj (includes FOB)[24] | |
ICGS Kolkata | ||
CGAE Kolkata | ||
Eastern Region (E) CGRHQ Chennai | DHQ-5 Chennai | ICGAS Chennai[25] |
ICGS Chennai (includes MRCC and RMPC[a])[26] | ||
DHQ-6 Visakhapatnam | ICGS Visakhapatnam | |
ICGS Kakinada | ||
ICGS Krishnapatnam | ||
ICGS Nizampatnam | ||
CGAE Visakhapatnam (Proposed)[27][28] | ||
DHQ-13 Puducherry[29] | ICGS Puducherry | |
CGAE Puducherry[26] | ||
ICGS Karaikal | ||
DHQ-16 Thoothukudi[30] | ICGS Thoothukudi | |
ICGS Mandapam | ||
CGAS Thoothukudi (Land acquisition in-progress)[31][32] | ||
Andaman & Nicobar Region (A&N) CGRHQ Port Blair | DHQ-14 Port Blair | ICGS Port Blair (includes MRCC)[33] |
CGAE Port Blair | ||
ICGS Hutbay | ||
DHQ-9 Diglipur | ICGS Mayabunder[34] | |
ICGS Diglipur | ||
DHQ-10 Campbell Bay | ICGS Campbell Bay | |
ICGS Kamorta | ||
Western Region (W) CGRHQ Mumbai | DHQ-3 New Mangaluru | ICGS Karwar[35] |
CGAE New Mangaluru[36] | ||
DHQ-2 Mumbai | ICGS Murud Janjira | |
ICGS Ratnagiri | ||
ICGS Dahanu | ||
DHQ-4 Kochi | ICGS Vizhinjam | |
ICGS Beypore | ||
CGAE Kochi | ||
DHQ-11 Mormugao | ICGS Goa | |
CGAE Dabolim | ||
DHQ-12 Kavaratti | ICGS Kavaratti | |
ICGS Minicoy | ||
ICGS Androth | ||
CGAS Daman | ||
North-West Region (NW) CGRHQ Gandhinagar | DHQ-1 Porbandar | ICGS Gandhinagar |
ICGS Pipavav[37] | ||
ICGS Veraval | ||
CGAE Porbandar | ||
DHQ-15 Okha | ICGS Mundra | |
ICGS Jakhau | ||
ICGS Vadinar | ||
ICGS Okha |
A table showing the rank structure of Coast Guard officers with those of the other Indian armed services.[38]
Indian Coast Guard Ranks | Indian Army Ranks | Indian Navy Ranks | Indian Air Force Ranks | Police |
---|---|---|---|---|
Director-General /Additional Director-General | Lieutenant General | Vice Admiral | Air Marshal | Director General of Police |
Inspector-General | Major General | Rear Admiral | Air Vice Marshal | Inspector General of Police |
Deputy Inspector-General | Brigadier | Commodore | Air Commodore | Deputy Inspector General of Police |
Commandant (Level 13-Pay Scale) | Colonel | Captain | Group Captain | Superintendent
(Selection Grade) |
Commandant (Junior Grade) | Lt Colonel | Commander | Wing Commander | Superintendent |
Deputy Commandant | Major | Lt Commander | Squadron Leader | Additional Superintendent |
Assistant Commandant (2 Years) | Captain | Lieutenant | Flight Lieutenant | Deputy Superintendent |
Assistant Commandant | Lieutenant | Sub Lieutenant | Flying Officer | Assistant Superintendent |
The naming of ranks of officers in the Coast Guard is as same as rank of Central Armed Police Forces. Officers are appointed in the Coast Guard in one of four branches, as either General-Duty officer, Pilot officer, Technical officer or Law officers. Lady Officers have two branches i.e. General-Duty Officer or Pilot Officer and serve on shore establishments/Air Stations/Headquarters. They are not deployed on board Indian Coast Guard ships.
Currently, officers of Indian Coast Guard undergo Basic Military Training at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala along with their counterparts of Indian Navy. This helps in the mutual interchange of Officers among these two sister services. While the Indian Coast Guard Academy is under construction in Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka.[39]
The command of ships at sea can only be exercised by officers of the General-Duty (GD) branch. The key functions of a General-Duty Officer would be to operate weapons, sensors and different kinds of equipment on board a ship. The safety of the ship and the men would be GD officers responsibility. All the District Commanders (COMDIS) and Commander of Coast Guard Region (COMCG) appointments are exercised by a GD Officer of the Indian Coast Guard.
Pilot Officers are also part of GD branch. A Pilot Officer gets an opportunity to work at shore Air Stations along the Indian coasts and also embark ships. ICG operates fixed wing aircraft for surveillance of the Exclusive Economic Zone. In addition, helicopters are embarked on Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) to provide local surveillance and perform search and rescue mission at sea.
Technical Officers are responsible for operation of advanced technology and sensor systems on board Coast Guard vessels and aircraft, as well as on shore installations. They also command the maintenance wings of the force.
Law Officers act as legal advisers to their respective commanders. They represent the Indian Coast Guard in legal actions filed by or against the organisation. They also perform the duties of trial law officers in Coast Guard courts, convened to try delinquent Coast Guard personnel. The Directorate of Law at Coast Guard Headquarters is headed by a Deputy Inspector-General and is designated as the Chief Law Officer. Section 115 of the Coast Guard Act, 1978 deals with the qualifications necessary to be appointed as the Chief Law Officer of Indian Coast Guard. Section 116 of the Coast Guard Act, 1978 defines the functions of the Chief Law Officer.[5]
Enrolled personnel in the Coast Guard serve as either a yantrik (technician) or navik (sailor).[40]
Enrolled personnel of Indian Coast Guard are trained along with Indian Naval sailors at the naval training establishment INS Chilka. All training undertaken by Coast Guard personnel is the same as those undertaken by sailors in the Indian Navy. All personnel are trained in operation of weapons systems in cases of emergency.
The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indian Coast Guard[41] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Director general | Additional director general | Inspector general | Deputy inspector general (3-year seniority) |
Deputy inspector general | Commandant | Commandant (Junior Grade) |
Deputy commandant | Assistant commandant | Assistant commandant (under probation) |
Assistant commandant (after phase II) |
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
Rank group | Junior commissioned officers | Non commissioned officers | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indian Coast Guard[41] |
No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pradhan Adhikari Pradhan Sahayak Engineer |
Uttam Adhikari Uttam Sahayak Engineer |
Adhikari Sahayak Engineer |
Pradhan Navik Pradhan Yantrik |
Uttam Navik Uttam Yantrik |
Navik Yantrik |
Aircraft | Picture | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maritime patrol | ||||||
Dornier 228 | Germany India |
Maritime patrol | 101/201[42] | 36[43] | 2 on order[44] | |
Helicopters | ||||||
HAL Dhruv | India | Utility | Mk. I | 4[45][46] | 9 Mk.III on order[47] 6 more planned[48] | |
Mk. III | 16[49][50] | |||||
HAL Chetak | India | Utility | 17[51] |
The following is a list of Coast Guard Air Squadrons[52][53][54]
Squadron | Type | Base |
---|---|---|
CGAS 700 | Do 228-101 | CGAE Kolkata |
CGAS 743 | Do 228-101 | CGAE Bhubaneswar |
CGAS 744 | Do 228-101 | ICGAS Chennai |
CGAS 745 | Do 228-201 | CGAE Port Blair |
CGAS 746 | Do 228-201 | CGAE Porbandar |
CGAS 747 | Do 228-101 | CGAE Kochi |
CGAS 750 | Do 228-101 | CGAS Daman |
CGAS 800 | HAL Chetak | CGAE Dabolim |
CGAS 830 | HAL Dhruv Mk. III | CGAE Bhubaneswar |
CGAS 835 | HAL Dhruv Mk. III[55] | CGAE Porbandar |
CGAS 840 | HAL Dhruv Mk. III | CGAS Chennai |
CGAS 841 | HAL Chetak | CGAS Daman |
CGAS 842 | HAL Chetak | INS Kunjali, Mumbai |
CGAS 845 | HAL Dhruv Mk. III | CGAE Kochi |
CGAS 848 | HAL Chetak | CGAS Chennai |
CGAS 850 | HAL Dhruv Mk. II | CGAS Ratnagiri |
CGAS 851 | HAL Dhruv Mk. II | CGAE Dabolim |
Port Blair Chetak Flight | HAL Chetak | CGAE Port Blair |
Kochi Chetak Flight | HAL Chetak | CGAE Kochi |
Vishakhapatnam Chetak Flight | HAL Chetak | CGAE Dega |
Dornier Training Fleet | Do 228-201 | CGAS Daman |
Vessels belonging to the Indian Coast Guard bear the prefix "ICGS" – Indian Coast Guard Ship.
Class | Picture | Origin | Type | Commissioned | Displacement | Vessels | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pollution control vessels (3) | |||||||
Samudra class | India | Pollution control vessel | 2010–present | 3,960 tons | 3 | ||
Offshore patrol vessels (25) | |||||||
Vikram class | India | Offshore patrol vessel | 2018–present | 2,140 tons | 7 | ||
Samarth class | India | Offshore patrol vessel | 2015–present | 2,400 tons | 11 | ||
Vishwast class | India | Offshore patrol vessel | 2010–present | 1,800 tons | 3 | ||
Sankalp class | India | Offshore patrol vessel | 2008–present | 2,325 tons | 2 | ||
Samar class | India | Offshore patrol vessel | 1996–present | 1,800 tons | 2 | 2 ships out of 4 decommissioned in November 2023 | |
Fast Patrol vessels (44) | |||||||
Aadesh class | India | Fast patrol vessel | 2013–present | 290 tons | 20 | ||
Rajshree class | India | Fast patrol vessel | 2012–present | 275 tons | 13 | 1 additional unit built for the Seychelles Coast Guard.[56][57] | |
Rani Abbaka class | India | Fast patrol vessel | 2009–present | 275 tons | 5 | ||
Sarojini Naidu class | India | Fast patrol vessel | 2002–present | 270 tons | 6 | 1 unit decommissioned on 27 April 2023. 2 additional units built for the National Coast Guard of Mauritius. | |
Patrol boats (82) | |||||||
Bharati class | India | Patrol boat | 2013–present | 107 tons | 6 | 9 more to be commissioned | |
L&T class | India | Fast interceptor boat | 2012–present | 90 tons | 54 | ||
ABG class | India | Fast interceptor boat | 2000–present | 90 tons | 11 | ||
Patrol craft (14) | |||||||
Timblo class | India | Interceptor craft | 2010–present | 7 tons | 10 | ||
Bristol class | United Kingdom | Interceptor craft | 2004–present | 5 tons | 4 | ||
Hovercraft (14) | |||||||
Griffon class | United Kingdom | Hovercraft | 2000–present | 27 tons | 18 | 6 H-181(Griffon 8000TD) and 12 H-187(Griffon 8000TD)[46] |
Vessels belonging to the Indian Coast Guard bear the prefix "ICGS" – Indian Coast Guard Ship.
Class | Picture | Origin | Type | Commissioned | Displacement | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patrol vessels | ||||||
Priyadarshini class | India | Fast patrol vessel | 1992–1998 | 215 tons | All 8 decommissioned.[58][59][60] | |
Samar class | India | Offshore patrol vessel | 1996–present | 1,800 tons | 2 decommissioned, 2 still in service | |
Vikram class | India | Offshore patrol vessel | 1983–1992 | 1,220 tons | 6 decommissioned, 1 lost, 2 transferred | |
Rajhans class | India | Patrol vessel | 1980–1987 | 200 tons | All 5 have been decommissioned.[61] | |
Tara Bai class | Singapore | Coastal patrol vessel | 1987–1990 | 236 tons | All 6 have been decommissioned.[62] | |
Blackwood class | United Kingdom | Offshore patrol vessel | 1978–1988 | 1,456 tons | Former INS Kirpan and former INS Kuthar transferred from the Indian Navy in 1978. Kirpan decommissioned 1987,[63] Kuthar decommissioned September 1988.[64] |
As of November 2024, the Indian Coast Guard has a strength of 182 ships and 78 aircraft while it plans to have 200 ships and 100 aircraft by 2030.[9]
The following is a table of vessel classes which are either under construction or planned, but have not yet entered service.
Class | Origin | Type | Commission (est.) | Displacement | Planned | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MDL-class Training Vessel | India | Training vessel | 1 | Contract signed with MDL[65] | ||
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) class | India | Pollution Control Vessel | May 2025 | 4,100 Tons[66] | 2 | Contract signed for ₹5.83 billion in June 2021.[67] First ship ICGS Samudra Pratap launched on 29 August 2024.[68] |
Multi-Role Support Vessels | India | Multi-Role Support Vessels | 2500 - 3500 Tons | 6 | [b] | |
Offshore Patrol Vessels (Operational Sea Training) | India | Offshore Patrol Vessel | ~2500 Tons | 2 | [c] | |
MDL-class NGOPV | India | Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) | May 2026 | 2,500 Tons | 6 | Contract signed with MDL.[69][70][71] Steel cutting of the first vessel done on 31 May 2024.[72] |
Next Generation FPV Class | India | Fast patrol vessel | 700 Tons | 18 | [73] Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared procurement on 3 September 2024.[74] | |
GSL-class Fast Patrol Vessel | India | Fast patrol vessel | 320 Tons | 8 | [73][75] | |
MDL-class Fast Patrol Vessel | India | Fast patrol vessel | 300 Tons | 14 | Contract signed with MDL on 24 January 2024. All to be delivered within 63 months[76][77][78] | |
India | Interceptor boats | 22 | [79] Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared procurement on 29 July 2024.[80] | |||
Next Generation Interceptor Crafts | India | Interceptor boats | 15 - 17 Tons | 30 | [d] | |
Heavy Duty Air Cushion Vehicles | India | Hovercraft | 12 | [e] | ||
Air Cushion Vehicles | India | Hovercraft | 6 | Deal signed on 24 October 2024 with Chowgule & Company Pvt. Ltd., Goa at a cost of ₹387.44 crore.[81] |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | Planned | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maritime patrol | ||||||
Airbus C-295 Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (MMMA) | Europe India |
Maritime patrol | C-295MPA | 6[82] | Ministry of Defence has given clearance for procurement of 6 C-295 MPA on 16 February 2024.[83] |
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The ICG said that these choppers were the ninth and tenth in the series of 16 ALH.
The two pollution control vessels will be approximately 115 mtrs long, 16.5 mtrs wide, with a displacement of 4100 tonnes and a maximum speed of 22 Knots.