Visakhapatnam is the largest city on the Andhra coast and the nearest large port to the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin fields. Offshore activity in the basin is run mainly from Kakinada, about 130 to 155 km up the coast, so Visakhapatnam supplies the industrial and maritime workforce around it rather than the offshore supply base itself. Many of the people who ask us about T-BOSIET here work for contractors who service the port, refinery, shipyard and fabrication sites, and are asked for the certificate when a job extends to a platform, a drill ship or a support vessel.
The port is the central employer. Visakhapatnam Port Authority reported a record 82.62 million tonnes in 2024-25, with crude and petroleum products among the growing segments, and the port has dedicated oil-refinery berths for tanker handling. HPCL's Visakh refinery has expanded from about 8.3 to 15 million tonnes a year after its modernisation project, processed 15.31 million tonnes in 2024-25, and HPCL has spoken of taking it to 18 million tonnes over the following three years. Refinery turnarounds and projects bring in large contractor workforces, where fire, first aid and H2S awareness matter as much as offshore survival.
Hindustan Shipyard Limited, set up in 1941 and now under the Ministry of Defence, builds and repairs ships and also lists offshore platform construction and drill ships among its work. In 2022 it launched the diving support vessels Nistar and Nipun. The city is also headquarters of the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command. That is context only: naval training is a separate system, and this page is for the civilian offshore, port and shipyard workforce.
Out in the basin, ONGC began first oil from its KG-DWN-98/2 Cluster-2 deepwater project, some 25 to 35 km off the Kakinada coast, on 7 January 2024, using an FPSO. Reliance's KG-D6 gas is received at an onshore terminal at Gadimoga, near Kakinada. These are operations that a Visakhapatnam candidate may end up supporting from either side of the coast.
A record 82.62 million tonnes in 2024-25; oil-refinery berths and crude and petroleum products among its growing cargoes.
Raised from about 8.3 to 15 MMTPA after its modernisation; processed 15.31 MMT in 2024-25, with further expansion announced.
Founded in 1941; builds and repairs ships and offshore platforms; launched the diving support vessels Nistar and Nipun in 2022.
Deepwater oil project off Kakinada; first oil on 7 January 2024 through an FPSO installed in about 400 m of water.
The Indian Navy's eastern command is headquartered in the city; naval personnel train through their own channels.
OPITO code: 5501
Duration: 3 Days
Fee: ₹35,000
The course most searched for from Visakhapatnam, and the tropical version for the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal. Three days at the campus.
View course →OPITO code: 5700
Duration: 3 Days
Fee: ₹35,000
The standard version, relevant if your employer may send you to non-tropical assets or international contracts. Ask which one your client accepts.
View course →Duration: Half Day
Fee: ₹10,000
A half-day course that is the second most searched topic from the city, useful for port, refinery and yard supervisors who are nominated first-aiders.
View course →OPITO code: 9014
Duration: Half Day
Fee: ₹12,500
Refinery, tanker-berth and sour-service work puts hydrogen sulphide awareness on many contractor lists. The OPITO Basic H2S course is half a day and valid for two years.
View course →Duration: Half Day
Fee: ₹10,000
A half-day option for refinery and shipyard workers who need a fire certificate on a site where hot work is routine.
View course →Training is bought by port-service companies, refinery and shipyard contractors, fabrication yards, offshore support vessel operators and manning agencies serving the east coast. Because the workforce is split between Visakhapatnam, the Kakinada base and the offshore fields, HSE managers often book by project and not by site.
| Course | Requirement note |
|---|---|
| Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (T-BOSIET) | Many operators of warm-water Indian offshore assets, including in the KG basin, ask offshore crew for the tropical certificate. The operator and the contract decide. |
| Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training with EBS (BOSIET with EBS) | Standard BOSIET may be asked where crew are mobilised internationally or to non-tropical assets. |
| Basic H2S Training | Refinery turnarounds and sour-service work commonly lead contractors to ask for H2S awareness; check each site's contractor rules. |
| Basic First Aid Training | Often required of nominated first-aiders on port, refinery and yard sites. |
Operators and clients set their own requirements; confirm with your contract or HSE department.
This is one of the longer journeys to our campus. Visakhapatnam Airport (VTZ) had no non-stop service to Kochi (COK) when we checked, so most air itineraries go through Bengaluru and take roughly 7 to 8 hours in total. The train is a full day but runs through Vijayawada and Chennai without changes.
Sample itineraries on a booking site show a stop at Bengaluru with total journey times of roughly 7 to 8.5 hours. We could not confirm a non-stop flight, so check the airline timetable before you plan. Vijayawada (VGA) listings on some sites show direct IndiGo flights to Kochi of around 3 hours 25 minutes on some dates; verify before booking.
Leaves Visakhapatnam around 14:40 on its second day and reaches Ernakulam Junction at 14:32 the next day, about 24 hours. It calls at Vijayawada, Chennai Perambur, Katpadi, Salem, Coimbatore and Palakkad on the way. The return, 22641, also stops at Visakhapatnam. Timetables and running days change, so confirm on the railway enquiry site.
Leaves Visakhapatnam at 07:20, stops at Samalkot and Rajahmundry, and reaches Ernakulam Town at 09:15 the next morning. The stop is Ernakulam Town rather than the Junction, which is a different station.
Reported driving distance is roughly 1,400 km. This is a two-day drive for a group, not a practical choice for one person.
Most Visakhapatnam candidates are looking at T-BOSIET. If your client or contractor is not sure, ask whether the work is in tropical waters or may extend to international contracts.
The classroom courses take three days at the campus. T-BOSIET Digital Delivery moves the theory online and leaves one practical day, which suits anyone travelling a day each way.
A single train ticket can sell out earlier than a course seat. Ask our team for upcoming batch dates, then buy the train or flight to arrive the day before.
Our team can suggest places to stay near the campus. With a day of travel each way, budget for the course nights plus one night before and one after.
Bring swimwear, a towel, comfortable clothing and a valid photo ID. If you wear spectacles, bring a retaining strap, and declare any medication.
OPITO certificates are valid for four years. Note the date and send a copy to your employer or manning agent straight away.
