DNS (Diploma in Nautical Science)
One year on campus, then about eighteen months of ship time as a deck cadet. TMI’s site describes the path onward to the second mate’s certificate and the B.Sc applied nautical science degree from IMU.
Tolani Maritime Institute · college guide
Tolani Maritime Institute: Courses, Eligibility and How to Prepare
For Class 12 PCM students — Physics, Chemistry, Maths · age 17 to 25 (relaxations apply) · girls and boys. Not PCM? This path is not open to you.
A plain guide to one of India’s best-known residential maritime colleges: what it teaches, how a Class 12 PCM student gets in, and how NavPath prepares you for the exam and the interview.
NavPath Academy is not affiliated with Tolani Maritime Institute. This is an independent preparation guide.
Tolani (TMI) · Induri, near Pune, Maharashtra
What Tolani Maritime Institute is
Tolani Maritime Institute (TMI) is a residential maritime college at Induri, near Talegaon on the Pune side of Maharashtra. It is affiliated to the Indian Maritime University (IMU) and approved by the Directorate General of Shipping. It has taught deck and engine cadets for many years and is one of the best-known names in Indian maritime education.
TMI’s own website lists three routes for a student after Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Maths: the one-year DNS course leading to an IMU diploma, the three-year B.Sc Nautical Science degree, and the four-year B.Tech Marine Engineering degree. All three are IMU programmes, so the entry door is IMU CET.
Courses
What TMI offers a Class 12 PCM student
Confirmed on the institute’s website. Seats, fees and dates change each year; confirm the current course list on the institute’s website before you apply.
B.Sc Nautical Science
A three-year residential degree for the deck side. Ship time follows the degree. Companies visit the campus to select cadets during the course.
B.Tech Marine Engineering
A four-year residential degree for the engine side, with workshop and ship-in-campus training. Graduates join as engine cadets or junior engineers.
How admission to TMI works
IMU CET rank
All three courses are IMU programmes, so you sit IMU CET first. The next public cycle is IMU CET May 2027. Your rank decides which institutes and courses are open to you in counselling.
Institute counselling and application
TMI takes applications on its own website in parallel with the IMU process. The institute states its own eligibility for each course, including Class 12 marks, English and age, and it can run its own interview.
Medical
A DG Shipping-approved medical, with eyesight and colour-vision standards, is part of every sea-going admission. Check it before you spend a year preparing.
Sponsorship is separate
Admission to TMI is one decision. A sponsoring shipping company is another. Many companies recruit on the TMI campus, but that is their selection, not the institute’s.
Tolani (TMI) · before you apply
Questions to settle before you apply
- Which course is right for you: DNS, B.Sc Nautical Science or B.Tech Marine Engineering? Decide this in counselling with a parent present.
- Have you checked eyesight and colour vision with an approved doctor? Do it before you spend a year preparing.
- Have you read the institute’s current eligibility for Class 12 marks, English and age on its own website?
- Do you understand that admission and company sponsorship are two separate decisions by two separate bodies?
Read the Merchant Navy career ladder for the full officer route, then check your eligibility before you choose a course.
Questions families ask about Tolani (TMI)
Is Tolani Maritime Institute part of IMU?
TMI is a private institute affiliated to the Indian Maritime University and approved by DG Shipping. Its DNS, B.Sc Nautical Science and B.Tech Marine Engineering awards come through IMU.
Which course should I choose at TMI: DNS or B.Sc Nautical Science?
Both lead to the deck side. DNS is one year on campus and then sea time, so you sail sooner. B.Sc is three years on campus and then sea time. Talk it through in counselling with a parent present.
Does TMI take students without IMU CET?
For the IMU courses, no. IMU CET is the entry step. Confirm the current rule on the institute’s website, because IMU rules change from year to year.
Do girls study at TMI?
Yes. Both the deck and engine courses are open to girls and boys who meet the academic and medical rules. See our Women in Merchant Navy guide.
How does NavPath help with the TMI interview?
With mock interviews run by sailing officers, spoken English practice and a written review after every mock. You go in knowing the kind of questions to expect and how to answer them plainly.
More institute guides
Guides for other maritime institutes
Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy · Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies · Great Eastern Institute of Maritime Studies · AMET University · HIMT College
Know the course before you sit the exam.
Check your eligibility, then apply for NEST, our IMU CET model test. Confirm every admission detail on Tolani Maritime Institute’s own website.