India to Establish New Maritime Regulator DGMA by March to Boost Global Shipping Ambitions
The Indian government is poised to notify a comprehensive regulatory framework by early March to establish the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA), according to two senior officials familiar with the matter. This move aims to create a unified regulator for India's maritime sector, transforming oversight mechanisms as the country seeks to significantly expand its role in the global shipping economy.
Expanding Maritime Oversight and Regulatory Authority
The new framework will expand regulatory oversight across multiple critical areas including shipbuilding and repair, coastal shipping operations, inland waterways management, port operations efficiency, maritime manpower planning, and investment approval processes. The office of the DGMA was originally proposed under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, which received parliamentary approval during last year's monsoon session.
The Act formally expands the DGMA's statutory authority, granting it the power to issue binding directions not only to shipowners and their agents but also to port authorities. This enhanced authority will help India discharge its obligations under various international maritime conventions more effectively.
Transformation from DGS to Comprehensive Maritime Regulator
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) is expected to formally notify the powers, roles, and responsibilities of the DGMA before the new chief assumes office in March. This transition represents a significant shift from the current Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) to a more comprehensive, sector-wide regulatory authority with broader jurisdiction.
This regulatory transformation is part of a broader recasting of India's maritime laws designed to deliver on both the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the more ambitious Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. The government aims to position India among the world's top maritime nations through strategic regulatory reforms and substantial infrastructure investments.
Vision 2047: Ambitious Targets for Global Maritime Leadership
India currently holds less than a 1% share of the global shipbuilding market, ranking 22nd worldwide while China, South Korea, and Japan dominate the sector. In terms of ship ownership, India ranks 18th globally with approximately 1,550 registered vessels and a carrying capacity of 13.5 million gross tonnage (GT).
Under the ambitious Vision 2047 framework, India aims to achieve several transformative goals:
- Rank among the world's top five ship-owning nations with 100 million GT by 2047
- Increase shipbuilding capacity to 4.5 million gross tonnage per annum (GTPA) from the current approximately 0.1 million GTPA
- Attract substantial private capital investments estimated to approach ₹80 lakh crore
Complementary Security Regulations and Industry Perspectives
Alongside the DGMA notification, MoPSW will also notify the Merchant Shipping (Ships and Port Facility Security) Rules, 2026 by early March, establishing the Bureau of Port Security. This bureau will be responsible for implementing and enforcing provisions related to ship and port facility security, addressing concerns highlighted in recent parliamentary committee reports.
Industry experts have welcomed the move toward a unified maritime regulator. Gahan Singh, partner at Khaitan & Co., emphasized that "India's fast-expanding maritime ecosystem needs a strong and independent regulator to ensure consistency, safety and investor confidence." He noted that a unified regulator could reduce regulatory overlaps, accelerate decision-making processes, and better align Indian practices with global maritime standards.
Capt. Rajat Mehta, chief operating officer at Su-Nav Group, outlined the regulator's ideal functions: "The regulator should be a standard-setting body, responsible for framing and maintaining up-to-date regulations. It should have enforcement authority, licensing and certification responsibilities, incident oversight capabilities, and should ultimately function as a facilitator of growth and business."
Addressing Current Challenges and Future Opportunities
Recent parliamentary disclosures, including reports by the standing committee on transport and tourism, have highlighted the need for a stronger and more coherent maritime regulator. The government has acknowledged multiple incidents involving collisions between merchant ships and fishing boats off the Kerala coast, with investigations often ending in mutual settlements and limited systemic enforcement.
These incidents have exposed significant gaps in reporting mechanisms, inter-agency coordination, and preventive regulation. The new DGMA framework aims to address these systemic weaknesses while positioning India for greater participation in the global maritime economy.
Bhavik Vora, partner and transportation and logistics industry leader at Grant Thornton Bharat, noted the timeliness of this regulatory move, especially as capital deployment across ports, shipbuilding, logistics, and inland waterways increases. "With India's maritime ecosystem handling nearly 95% of the nation's trade by volume and around 70% by value, the sector is already central to India's economic competitiveness," Vora observed.
He added that a centralized regulator would bring consistency in approvals, clearer compliance standards, and faster decision-making—particularly crucial for assets with long gestation periods such as ports and shipyards.
Strategic Positioning for Global Maritime Integration
Stella Joseph, partner at Economic Laws Practice, highlighted the strategic importance of formally positioning DGMA as the apex maritime administration under the 2025 Act. "By aligning with International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) standards, India is signaling that technical decisions on safety, manning, casualty response and environmental protection will be taken within a stable, predictable legal architecture," she explained.
Joseph further noted that the DGMA would function as a unified technical authority, digitize approval processes, and ensure that green-shipping initiatives and security goals become embedded in daily regulatory practices. This comprehensive approach reflects India's determination to transform its maritime sector into a globally competitive industry while addressing current regulatory fragmentation and safety concerns.
