Foreign Flag Vessel Age Limits in India – DGS 01/2026 Rules
Understand the Foreign Flag Vessel Age Limit in India under DGS 01/2026, including entry conditions, vessel categories, and compliance requirements.
Shipping
Indian Seafarers Employment Trends (2010–2025)
India has long been one of the world’s largest suppliers of maritime manpower. To understand how this workforce has evolved over time, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) issued Circular 06 of 2026, presenting official statistics on the engagement of Indian seafarers on Indian-flag and foreign-flag merchant ships from 2010 to 2025. This blog analyses … Read more
How Vessel Age Impacts Safety, Pollution Control, and Insurance Risk?
Vessel age plays a key role in deciding safety levels, pollution control efforts, and insurance risks for ships operating under the Indian flag or needing licenses. According to DGS Order No. 01 of 2026, strict age norms ensure quality tonnage, reducing accidents and emissions while keeping insurance costs in check. This order from the Directorate … Read more
Why India Is Phasing Out Older Ships: The Policy Logic Behind DGS Order 01 of 2026
India phases out older ships to cut accident risks and boost global competitiveness. Older vessels often lack updated tech for collision avoidance or fire suppression, leading to incidents like oil spills. The policy logic ties directly to India’s Maritime India Vision 2047, prioritizing safety over short-term costs. Economic reasons stand out, too. Maintaining rusty hulls … Read more
SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-13: Ultimate Safe Lifting Guide
Table of Content The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) has long been the cornerstone of maritime safety, preventing accidents and ensuring safety of life at sea. It has introduced and adopted several circulars and regulations to ensure vessels, crews, and passengers operate and function under high safety standards. SOLAS has … Read more
What Financial Penalties Apply Under the Seafarers Code?
Financial penalties under the Seafarers Code, enforced by India’s Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), target misconduct like desertion and disobedience to ensure maritime safety and compliance. These rules, rooted in the Merchant Shipping Act and recent DGS orders, impose fines, wage forfeitures, and more on seafarers and shipmasters. Understanding them helps avoid career-ending sanctions. … Read more
When does DGS Recommend Judicial Prosecution under the Seafarers Code of Conduct?
DGS recommends judicial prosecution in serious seafarers’ code violations that threaten safety or involve fraud. This step follows administrative actions when offences warrant court involvement under the Merchant Shipping Act. Seafarers and RPSLs must understand these triggers to stay compliant. What Is Judicial Prosecution by DGS? Judicial prosecution by DGS means sending serious cases to … Read more
STWC, certification statistics & trends – 2025
An easy breakdown of India’s STCW certification statistics for 2025, covering officer licenses, safety training, maritime trends and its impact on you.
Vessel safety and security, MS Act 2025.
A simplified explanation of the MS, Act 2025 covering vessel safety and security, seaworthiness, certification, reporting, & international compliance.
Tug Capsizing in Port Waters: Key Safety Lessons
Maritime operations inside port waters are often considered routine. However, recent incidents like tug and crane accidents have proven that even short-duration assistance operations, if poorly planned, can quickly turn into serious marine accidents. One such case is the capsizing of a tug during clearance of a fouled anchor cable in port waters, which offers … Read more