Paradip: Odisha’s only maritime training institute, closely linked to the state’s long seafaring tradition, is set to be privatised with the management likely to be handed over to the Adani Skill Development Centre (ASDC) under a public–private partnership (PPP) model.
Sources said discussions and reviews on the proposal have reached the final stage at the government level, and the process is likely to be completed by the end of March.
This finds mention in a letter (No. 811) issued February 20, 2026, by the Directorate of Ports and Inland Water Transport, Odisha.
It may be noted that Odisha Maritime Academy (OMA) at Paradip was founded April 3, 1993, when the then chief minister Biju Patnaik laid its foundation stone.
The academy began its courses later that year. The institute has facilities to train and accommodate 40 students at a time, with 20 seats reserved for candidates from Odisha and 20 for students from other states.
As each course runs for six months, about 80 students get the opportunity to study there annually. However, facilities for female students have not yet been introduced.
The academy is currently run by the state Commerce and Transport department. A 15-member governing body oversees its functioning.
The body is chaired by the department secretary with the secretary of the Skill Development and Technical Education department, the chairman and financial adviser of Paradip Port, the CEO of Dhamra Port, the managing director of Gopalpur Port, a director of the Shipping Corporation of India, a commandant of the Coast Guard and representatives from several shipping companies as its members.
The proposed privatisation has drawn criticism from the Opposition as Congress leader Niranjan Nayak alleged that the government is working in favour of corporate interests.
“While speaking about Odia identity, the government is effectively selling the state’s cultural legacy,” he said, adding that the party would oppose the move through democratic means. According to the same official letter, the 47-year-old Sailor Training Centre at Chandbali in Bhadrak district is also likely to be privatised.
Efforts to obtain a response from Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena on the matter were unsuccessful.