If you are a ship owner or ship operator, or you work on a ship in any capacity, you must know about this. DGMA has come out with a new order called DGMA Order No. 02 of 2026, and it was issued on 11th March 2026. This order is about satellite phones and satellite communication on ships that are operating in Indian coastal waters. And if you are not complying with this, you can get into very serious trouble. Let us understand what this order is actually saying.
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So, What Is This DGMA Order No. 02 of 2026 for Satellite Phones and Satellite Communication Actually About?
DGMA is basically saying that there are already rules about satellite phones and satellite communication devices on ships in Indian waters, but people are still not following them properly. This is why DGMA has now come out with this 2026 order, which builds on the earlier DGMA Order No. 09 of 2023.
The whole idea is to make sure that satellite communication equipment is being used properly, declared properly, and authorized properly. This is being done for maritime safety as well as national security. Now you might be wondering why national security is a part of this. We will get to that as we go further.
Understanding DGMA in Satellite Phones and Satellite Communication
Back in 2023, DGMA came out with Order No. 09. That order made two things very clear. First, Iridium-based satellite communication equipment is allowed in Indian waters but only for Distress and Safety communications under GMDSS, which is the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. You can read more about international conventions, including GMDSS, to understand the broader framework. Second, Thuraya satellite equipment is completely banned in Indian waters. And that ban on Thuraya is still very much in place today.
Now, after that 2023 order, some international organizations came forward and asked about ships that are part of the WMO Voluntary Observing Ship Scheme, also called the VOS Scheme. These ships send out weather and meteorological data, so they have a very specific use case.
Because of this, DGMA clarified in November 2023 and again in March 2024 that yes, those ships can use Iridium GMDSS equipment for transmitting weather and safety-related information. Also, Automatic Weather Stations installed under SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 5 using non-GMDSS Iridium equipment are also allowed. But only because those systems are standalone, they cannot make voice calls, and they only transmit binary weather data. Nothing personal, nothing commercial. Just weather data.
Quick Reference Table: Satellite Equipment Status Under DGMA Order No. 02 of 2026