IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW MARITIME LAWS
IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW MARITIME LAWS
To ensure effective implementation of the newly enacted legislations, the rule-making exercise has been undertaken in respect of the Coastal Shipping Act, 2025, the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and the Indian Ports Act, 2025. The exercise has been undertaken through a comprehensive consultative process involving all relevant stakeholders to ensure their participation at the drafting stage itself.
The following measures have been taken for capacity building, rule-making, and institutional preparedness to ensure the timely implementation of new legislation.
As no rules were required to be framed under the Bills of Lading Act, 2025, and the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 2025, these Acts have come into force with effect from 10th September, 2025.
For comprehensive stakeholder consultations, fourteen (14) Technical committees involving industry experts and nodal officers from the Directorate General of Shipping were constituted in respect of rule-making under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and the Coastal Shipping Act, 2025. Various groups of stakeholders have been consulted while drafting the rules by the Directorate General of Shipping. The major stakeholders include Shipowners, Operators, Seafarers’ Associations, Training & Education Bodies, Classification Societies, Ports & State Maritime Boards, Ship Management & Offshore Services, Coastal, Inland & Sailing Vessel Sector associations, Legal experts, and related Government Departments.
The draft Merchant Shipping Rules were placed on the website of DGS on 12.12.2025as well as on the Ministry’s website on24.12.2025, 26.12.2025and 22.01.2026 for public and stakeholders’ comments.
In compliance with Section 39(1) of the Coastal Shipping Act, 2025, Draft Coastal Shipping (Licensing of Foreign Vessels) Rules, 2026, and Draft Coastal Shipping (Strategy and National Database) Rules, 2026 were published in the Gazette of India on 19.12.2025 for information and observations/suggestions from the stakeholders. These rules were also placed on the Ministry’s website on 26.12.2025 for public and stakeholders’ comments.
Draft Indian Ports Rules, as mandated under sections 76 and 78 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025, were published in the Gazette of India on 23.01.2026. For rules making exercise under the Indian Ports Act, 2025, the Ministry engaged with all relevant stakeholders, including Major Port Authorities, State Maritime Boards, and industry bodies.
The review of acts/laws/rules is a continuous and ongoing process based on inputs/suggestions/complaints from stakeholders, as well as based on the recommendations of researchers, analysts, and experts in the field.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
- Twelve (12) Technical committees with Nodal Officers from the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) and representatives from stakeholders having knowledge and expertise on subject matters of rules to be framed have been constituted, and these committees are working on finalisation of draft rules under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025.
- Two (02) Technical committees have been constituted for the drafting of rules under the Coastal Shipping Act, 2025.
- Legal Consultants have been engaged to assist in drafting the rules so as to have a rule framework with simple legal language.
- A Legal vertical has been created in the Directorate General of Shipping to ensure a timely legal process and implementation of new legislation.
- Four (04) Consultative meetings were conducted with stakeholders for rule-making in respect of the Indian Ports Act, 2025.