Kakinada is the eastern counterpart of Nhava near Mumbai. A government audit report on ONGC's marine logistics describes the Kakinada Supply Base as the point from which ONGC supplies its eastern-offshore rigs and platforms, just as Nhava does for the west. That function is why the city, rather than larger Visakhapatnam, is where offshore vessel crews, riggers, deck hands and supply-base staff are concentrated for the Bay of Bengal.
The port itself is built around that traffic. Kakinada Deep Water Port, operated by Kakinada Seaports Limited, sits behind the Godavari sand spit known as Hope Island, extended by an island breakwater of about 1,050 m, which rating agency ICRA credits with calm working conditions through the year. A 2018 rating note counted six offshore supply vessel berths among its facilities. Alongside it, Kakinada Anchorage Port, under the state government, offers roughly 25 sq km of all-weather anchorage for barge work.
Offshore to the east, ONGC began first oil on 7 January 2024 from its KG-DWN-98/2 Cluster-2 deepwater project, in the range of 25 to 35 km off the Kakinada coast, through an FPSO in about 400 m of water. Reliance's KG-D6 deepwater gas, produced further out, comes ashore at a terminal at Gadimoga, about 30 km south of Kakinada, where it is dehydrated, compressed and fed into the East-West pipeline. Each of these assets brings in vessel crews, commissioning teams and shut-down contractors who are routinely asked for survival certificates before a helicopter or boat transfer.
The KG basin is warm-water work, so T-BOSIET is the course we expect most Kakinada candidates to ask about first. This is a smaller, more specialised workforce than Mumbai's, which is why the page is written for both the individual candidate and the safety coordinator who books for a crew.
The base from which ONGC supplies its eastern-offshore rigs and platforms, according to a government audit of its marine logistics.
Operated by Kakinada Seaports Limited; sheltered by Hope Island and a 1,050 m breakwater, with dedicated offshore supply vessel berths.
State-government port with about 25 sq km of anchorage that is used for barge work.
Deepwater oil development off the Kakinada coast; first oil on 7 January 2024 via an FPSO.
Onshore terminal about 30 km south of Kakinada that receives KG-D6 gas from the offshore system.
OPITO code: 5501
Duration: 3 Days
Fee: ₹35,000
The core certificate for offshore vessel crews and platform visitors in the warm waters off the KG basin. Three days at the campus.
View course →OPITO code: 5507
Duration: 1 Day (online + practical)
Fee: ₹35,000
Online theory plus one practical day. Given the distance from Kakinada, this is the format that most reduces time away from a rotation.
View course →OPITO code: 5700
Duration: 3 Days
Fee: ₹35,000
The standard version, for people who may be redeployed outside tropical waters or to international contracts. Ask your employer which one applies.
View course →OPITO code: 9014
Duration: Half Day
Fee: ₹12,500
Half-day OPITO course for rig and terminal work where hydrogen sulphide may be present; valid for two years. Whether it is needed depends on the site.
View course →Duration: Half Day
Fee: ₹10,000
Half-day course for supply-base staff, vessel crew and contractors who are nominated first-aiders.
View course →Training is bought here by offshore vessel operators, drilling and platform service contractors, supply-base and logistics companies, port operators and manning agents. Where ONGC or another operator specifies the certificates, the contractor's HSE or training coordinator usually books for several people at once.
| Course | Requirement note |
|---|---|
| Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (T-BOSIET) | Operators and vessel managers working in the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal commonly ask offshore crew for the tropical certificate. Confirm against the contract. |
| Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training with EBS (BOSIET with EBS) | Standard BOSIET may be requested where crew may be moved to non-tropical or international assets. |
| Basic H2S Training | Required by some operators and contractors for rig and process-facility work; check the site rules. |
| Basic First Aid Training | Useful for nominated first-aiders at supply bases and on vessels; operator rules vary. |
Operators and clients set their own requirements; confirm with your contract or HSE department.
Kakinada has no airport of its own; the nearest is Rajahmundry (RJA), about 60 to 65 km away by road. We could not confirm a direct Rajahmundry to Kochi flight, so air travel usually means a connection. The train is slower but runs through from the Godavari region to Kerala.
IndiGo's published network from Rajahmundry includes Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai. From Chennai there is a direct flight to Cochin of about 1 hour 15 minutes. Visakhapatnam airport is another option, about 130 to 155 km from Kakinada, but it also has no confirmed direct flight to Kochi. Check current timetables before booking.
Calls at Samalkot Junction (departs 09:35) and Rajahmundry (departs 10:15) and reaches Ernakulam Town at 09:15 the next morning, roughly 23 to 24 hours. The stop is Ernakulam Town, not the Junction. Verify running days before you travel.
A daily train that stops at Rajahmundry, Gudur, Chennai Perambur, Katpadi, Salem, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thrissur and Aluva, and arrives at Ernakulam Junction at 01:55 on its third day. Late-night arrival means planning how to get to the campus.
Driving distances to nearby Kerala cities are about 1,200 to 1,340 km, so expect around 1,250 to 1,300 km to Kochi and more than 20 hours at the wheel. Realistic only for a group sharing a vehicle.
Ask the operator or ship manager for the certificate list. Offshore supply and standby vessels in the KG basin are warm-water jobs, so T-BOSIET is usually the starting question, but the contract decides.
T-BOSIET takes three days at the campus. T-BOSIET Digital Delivery moves the theory online and leaves one practical day. If you are on a short break between trips, the digital option avoids two extra days away.
Many crew and contractors from Kakinada travel as a group. Group bookings can be arranged through a corporate account, and a shared taxi from the station is easier than separate journeys.
The journey is a day long either way. Book the train or flight to arrive the day before the course starts. Our team can suggest places to stay near the campus.
Bring swimwear, a towel, comfortable clothing and a valid photo ID. Spectacle wearers should bring a retaining strap, and any medication should be declared.
OPITO certificates are valid for four years. Send a copy to the vessel manager or supply-base coordinator and note the expiry.
