Minimum safe manning for Indian coastal vessels in harbour operations comes from Annexure F-1 of Circular No. 54 of 2025, and it sets one of the lightest crew scales in the entire circular. A vessel under 200 GT needs just 3 nautical crew. A vessel at 6000 GT still needs only 8, far fewer than … Read more
Minimum safe manning requirements for foreign offshore areas come from Annexure E-2 of Circular No. 54 of 2025, and they set the strictest certificate standard of any offshore scale in the circular. Every vessel, even one under 200 GT, needs a master holding a foreign-going certificate. There is no NCV option anywhere on this scale, … Read more
Minimum safe manning requirements for Indian offshore vessels come from Annexure E-1 of Circular No. 54 of 2025, and they cover ships working the zone between 20 nautical miles off the Indian coast and the outer edge of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone. A vessel under 200 GT needs 5 nautical crew. A vessel at 6000 … Read more
Minimum safe manning requirements for harbour operations come from Annexure D of DGMA Circular No. 54 of 2025, and they set the lightest crew scale of any annexure in the circular. A vessel under 200 GT needs just 3 nautical crew, the smallest complement in the whole document. A vessel of 10,000 GT or above … Read more
Minimum safe manning requirements for Indian coast vessels come from Annexure C of DGMA Circular No. 54 of 2025, and they cover ships trading along India’s coastline, including the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. A vessel under 200 GT needs just 4 nautical crew. A vessel at 6000 GT or above needs 8, with … Read more
The minimum safe manning scale for near coastal voyages sets the nautical crew every Indian ship must carry under DGMA Circular No. 54 of 2025, Annexure B. A vessel under 200 GT needs a Master NCV or Mate NCV, one NWKO, and a small ratings team. A ship at 6000 GT or above needs a … Read more
Minimum safe manning requirements for Indian flag vessels are set out in DGMA Circular No. 54 of 2025, which fixes the exact number and rank of crew every Indian ship must carry, from a small harbour craft to a large tanker on international trade. The scale changes with vessel size, area of operation, and cargo … Read more
The minimum safe manning scale for international voyages sets the nautical crew every Indian ship must carry under DGS Circular No. 54 of 2025, Annexure A. A vessel under 200 GT needs a master, one deck officer, and four ratings. A ship above 3000 GT needs up to 11 nautical crew, plus separate engine room … Read more
The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) has rolled out BSID Version 2.0 for issuance of the Biometric Seafarer’s Identity Document to Indian seafarers, effective 1st August 2026, via DGMA Circular No. 44 of 2026. If you’re wondering how to get BSID card under this updated system, the answer is simpler than the old process. … Read more
The Seafarers’ Welfare Fund Society (SWFS) runs 12 welfare schemes for Indian seafarers and their families — covering death, disability, maternity, retirement, education, and more. DGMA Circular 39 brings all 12 schemes into one document and raises the payout for almost every one of them, in some cases nearly tripling the amount. This guide explains … Read more
