National Maritime Day is celebrated on April 5 every year. The saga of India shipping first started on April 5, 1919, when the SS Loyalty, the first ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd travelled from Mumbai to the United Kingdom (London).

This main propose to celebrate the day to illustrate the awareness in supporting intercontinental commerce and the global economy as the most well-organized, safe and sound, environmentally responsive approach of transporting goods from one corner to another corner of the world.

The National Maritime Day was first celebrated on April 5, 1964.

According to the Directorate General of Shipping-- 'India now has 43 shipping companies owning 1,401 ships with a combined 12.69 million gross tonnage' as of December 2018.

From the last year, the Central Committee of the National Maritime instituted the highest award to recognize and persons for their sustained and outstanding contribution. The award is called 'Varuna Award'.

The National Maritime Day Celebrations (Central) Committee has also instituted an "NMD Award of Excellence" to recognize and persons for their lifetime exceptional and distinguished achievements or performance at the senior functional level in the Indian Maritime Sector.