**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 1173 in the Lok Sabha regarding the implementation of new maritime laws, including the Bills of Lading Act, Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, Coastal Shipping Act, Merchant Shipping Act, and Indian Ports Act, all of 2025. It details the steps taken for capacity building, rule-making, stakeholder consultations, and monitoring mechanisms. The answer was provided on February 6, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Rule-Making and Implementation Measures:**
* Rule-making exercises have been undertaken for the Coastal Shipping Act, Merchant Shipping Act, and Indian Ports Act, all of 2025, through a comprehensive consultative process with stakeholders.
* Twelve technical committees with Nodal Officers from the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) and stakeholder representatives were constituted to finalise draft rules under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025.
* Two technical committees were formed for drafting rules under the Coastal Shipping Act, 2025.
* Legal consultants were engaged to assist in drafting rules with simple legal language.
* A legal vertical has been created in the Directorate General of Shipping to ensure timely legal process and implementation of new legislations.
* Four consultative meetings were conducted with stakeholders for rule-making under the Indian Ports Act, 2025.
* **Enforcement Dates:**
* The Bills of Lading Act, 2025, and the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 2025, came into force on September 10, 2025, as no additional rules were required.
* **Stakeholder Consultations and Feedback:**
* Fourteen technical committees, including industry experts and nodal officers from the Directorate General of Shipping, were formed for rule-making under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and Coastal Shipping Act, 2025.
* Stakeholders consulted 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.
* **Public Availability of Draft Rules:**
* Draft Merchant Shipping Rules were placed on the DGS and Ministry websites on multiple dates in December 2025 and January 2026 for public and stakeholder comments.
* 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 December 19, 2025, and on the Ministry's website on December 26, 2025, for stakeholder feedback.
* Draft Indian Ports Rules were published in the Gazette of India on January 23, 2026, as mandated under sections 76 and 78 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025.
* **Ongoing Review Process:**
* The review of acts/laws/rules is a continuous process based on stakeholder inputs, suggestions, complaints, and recommendations from researchers, analysts, and experts.
**Impact Analysis**
**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**
* **Impact:** Affected by the new regulations and have been consulted during the drafting process.
* **Action Required:** To review the draft rules published on the DGS and Ministry websites and provide comments/suggestions.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways: The primary ministry responsible for the implementation of the new maritime laws.
Coastal Shipping Act, 2025: One of the key new maritime laws that are being implemented.
Merchant Shipping Act, 2025: One of the key new maritime laws that are being implemented.
Indian Ports Act, 2025: One of the key new maritime laws that are being implemented.
Directorate General of Shipping (DGS): The entity within the Ministry responsible for drafting rules and overseeing implementation of the new laws.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1173
ANSWERED ON 06/02/2026
IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW MARITIME LAWS
†1173. SHRI HASMUKHBHAI SOMABHAI PATEL:
SHRI MITESHBHAI RAMESHBHAI PATEL:
Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state:
प(cid:517)न,पोत प(cid:303)रवहन और जलमाग(cid:330) मं(cid:361)ी
(a) the steps taken for capacity building, rule-making and institutional preparedness
to ensure the timely and effective implementation of the new Acts (Bills of Lading
Act, 2025, Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 2025, Coastal Shipping Act, 2025
Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and Indian Ports Act, 2025);
(b) the details of stakeholder consultations, model rule or Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) issued to ensure uniform adoption of these new maritime
laws across States, port authorities and shipping stakeholders; and
(c) the monitoring or review mechanisms set up to assess the progress and initial
outcomes of the implementation of these Acts?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)
(a) In order 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 timely implementation of new legislations;
(i) 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 Merchant Shipping Act, 2025.
(ii) Two (02) Technical committees have been constituted for drafting of rules
under Coastal Shipping Act, 2025.
(iii) Legal Consultants have been engaged for assisting in drafting of the rules
so as to have rule framework with simple legal language.
(iv) A Legal vertical has been created in the Directorate General of Shipping to
ensure timely legal process and implementation of new legislations.(v) Four (04) Consultative meetings were conducted with stakeholders for
rule- making in respect of Indian Ports Act, 2025.
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.
(b)& (c) 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 Merchant
Shipping Act, 2025 and 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 of Section 39(1) of Coastal Shipping Act, 2025, Draft Coastal
Shipping (Licencing 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 Ministry’s website on 26.12.2025 for public and
stakeholders comments.
Draft Indian Ports Rules as mandated under section 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.
*****