Introduction

Mission

To help the mariners and local fisherman to navigate safely in to the Indian waters.

Vision

"To ensure safe navigation and maritime security through efficient and modern lighthouse and lightship services and Radio Aids to Navigation Service, contributing to the growth and sustainability of maritime activities."

1. Safety at Sea: Provide reliable and effective lighthouse and navigational aid services to ensure the safety of maritime traffic, preventing accidents and collisions.
2. Navigation Assistance: Maintain and enhance navigational aids like lighthouses, buoys, beacons, and lightships to assist mariners in safe navigation, especially in challenging waters.
3. Maritime Security: Collaborate with maritime authorities to enhance security measures, making use of navigational aids to monitor and manage maritime traffic effectively.
4. Technological Innovation: Embrace and integrate modern technologies in the field of maritime navigation, such as GPS and electronic navigation systems, to improve accuracy and efficiency.
5. Capacity Building: Train and educate maritime personnel in the state of art training Institute i.e. Marine Navigation Training Institute (MNTI) to ensure the proper operation and maintenance of navigational aids.
6. Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with national and international maritime organizations, governments, and industry stakeholders to establish best practices and standards in maritime navigation.
7. Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess and upgrade the navigational infrastructure and services to stay abreast of evolving maritime needs and technological advancements.

About Directorate

The Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships is a subordinate office under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. It provides General Aids to Marine Navigation along the Indian coast. The Headquarters of the Directorate is at Noida.(U.P.) For administrative control the entire coastline has been divided into Nine Districts having their regional headquarters at Gandhidham, Jamnagar, Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Chennai, Visakhapatnam , Kolkata and Port Blair. Our Aim is to provide safe and secure navigation in the Indian waters.  

Aids Provided

For the safe voyage in Indian waters, the Directorate has provided aids to marine navigation. They can be categorized as visual and radio Aids. The visual aids are lighthouses, light vessels, buoys and beacons. The radio aids are DGPS, RACONs etc. All these aids are passive in nature and not user interactive. The Directorate has entered into the interactive field of Aids to Navigation i.e. Vessel Traffic Service. For the control of jurisdiction the aids to marine navigation are categorized as General Aids and Local Aids. The upkeep and maintenance of general aids to marine navigation is the responsibility of the Directorate as per the LH Act 1927. The upkeep and maintenance of local aids is the responsibility of various Maritime State Government organizations like Ports, State Maritime Boards etc. However the directorates are extending all technical support for the maintenance of the local lights. In case the local lights are not maintained to the international standard due to financial constraints and lack of proper technical personnel, the Directorate on acceptance of the local bodies is taking over those local lights.

Revenue Generation

For providing these aids, the Directorate collects light dues  in 30 days at the rate of Rs.8/- per ton NT basis from all foreign going vessels calling at/departing from Indian ports. Customs Department collects light dues behalf of the Directorates.