
Centre to notify new maritime regulator by March as India eyes global shipping scale-up
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : The Centre is set to notify a new regulatory framework by early March to establish the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA), creating a unified regulator for India’s maritime sector, two government officials aware of the development said. The new framework will expand oversight across shipbuilding and repair, coastal shipping, inland waterways, port operations, manpower planning and approvals for investments.
The move is critical as India seeks to sharply expand its role in the global maritime economy—scaling up shipbuilding, boosting Indian-flagged vessels and attracting long-term private capital. The new framework will transform the role of the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) into a comprehensive, sector-wide regulator. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) is expected to notify the powers, role and responsibilities of the DGMA before the new chief assumes office in March.
The office of the DGMA was proposed under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, which secured parliamentary approval during the monsoon session last year. The Act formally expands the DGMA’s statutory authority, including the power to issue binding directions not only to shipowners and agents but also to ports, for discharging India’s obligations under international conventions. The shift from Director General of Shipping to Director General of Maritime Administration is part of a broader recasting of India’s maritime laws to deliver on Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
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