The Indian Maritime University is headquartered at Chennai and the new HQ building is built at 300 acres land allotted to IMU at Semmancherry which lies between East Coast Road and Old Mahabalipuram Road (Rajiv Gandhi Salai). The IMU has its regional campuses at Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam and Cochin. IMU presently offers Diploma, Degree, Postgraduate Diploma and Post Graduate Degree courses in Nautical Science, Marine Engineering, Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering, Ship Building & Repair, Maritime Management, Doctoral Programmes and Post Sea Courses.

The Indian Maritime University encompasses under its fold the following seven premier government institutions:

     (1) National Maritime Academy, Chennai
     (2) T S Chanakya, Mumbai
     (3) Lal Bahadur Shastri College of Advanced Maritime Studies & Research, Mumbai
     (4) Marine Engineering Research Institute, Mumbai
     (5) Marine Engineering Research Institute, Kolkata
     (6) Indian Institute of Port Management, Kolkata
     (7) National Ship Design & Research Centre, Visakhapatnam