Indeed, during the 2025 Monsoon Session, India passed five landmark bills as part of a large move to modernize the country in its maritime sector. Berries This legislative reform removes antique laws of a colonial origin and looks to enhance the blue economy in the country in line with national Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
Fifty Key Reforms
- The Bills of Lading Bill, 2025 : This new legislation will replace existing, outdated laws with new, standardized digital documentation that will make the logistical aspect of trade a lot easier, and minimize legal disputes.
- The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025: Revision of the current regulations of the maritime operations, seafarer welfare and ship safety, marine environmental laws with the view of ensuring compliance in the global context.
- The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025: Introduces international regulations (such as the Hague-Visby Rules) in order to streamline the process and keep litigation to a minimum in cargo movements.
- Indian Ports Bill, 2025: This Bill updates a law of 1908, modernizing the governance of ports and caring about the environment and bringing uniformity in port management in India as a whole.
- The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2025: Streamlines coastwise vessels, foreign ship licensing restrictions and ensures sustainable coastal shipping to mitigate traffic congestion on road and rail.
Economic and Strategic Effect
The reforms are aimed at minimizing administrative burdens, regulatory frictions. It is expected that the digitization process regarding documents will enhance feasibility of doing business by a great margin. One of the objectives is to enhance the use of coastal shipping to 6 percent of the transport modal mix taking place in India that could save as much as 10,000 crores on the annual costs of logistics. The governance of ports is also set to make it more competitive at a global trade level and hence more investment will have been attracted.
Environmental and Governance focus
The new law has built-in environmental controls and safety requirements. The Indian Ports Bill requires an environmental safeguard and online surveillance of implementation. Institutional changes that were significant are the setting up of a Maritime State Development Council to plan at the national level and empowering the state maritime boards to manage the regime through decentralized management. A National Coastal and Inland Shipping Strategic Plan will inform developments of the future infrastructure.
Global Alignment
By harmonizing the Indian provisions to match international conventions such as the Hague-Visby Rules and international systems of safety, India is well on track to being in harmony with its larger trade partners. This helps in the facilitation of trade in an international environment and promotes trade agreements such as the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
This is a broad-based legislative package, a first step in achieving Indias vision of becoming a global maritime power by 2047, and supporting the Sagarmala program and vision of having a robust, green, and competitive blue economy.
Month: Current Affairs - August 26, 2025
Category: current affairs daily