The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a two-year extension for senior IAS officer Shyam Jagannathan, allowing him to continue as Director General (Shipping) in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways until June 1, 2028. Jagannathan, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the Assam–Meghalaya cadre, holds the post in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary to the Government of India.
As Director General (Shipping), he heads India’s principal maritime administration, which oversees merchant shipping regulation, maritime safety, seafarer welfare, training standards, shipping operations and the implementation of international maritime conventions. The extension is expected to ensure continuity in ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening India’s maritime infrastructure, improving ease of doing business in shipping and supporting growth of the blue economy.
In recent years, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has prioritised port modernisation, coastal shipping, maritime digitisation and global competitiveness of the Indian fleet. Officials believe that Jagannathan’s continued leadership at the Directorate General of Shipping will help sustain momentum on these initiatives and advance India’s role in global maritime trade and logistics.
