Assured whose vessels trade to India will already be aware of the News Alert on 7 October 2026 (opens in a new window) advising of the requirements in the Merchant Shipping (Regulation of Entry of Ships into Coastal Waters) Rules, 2026, for non-Indian vessels operating in or transiting Indian coastal waters to maintain a valid salvage contract and a valid marine pollution response contract with an approved provider.
The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA), Mumbai, has today issued DGMA Circular No. 69 of 2026 (opens in a new window), confirming that they are in the process of approving salvors and marine pollution response providers to be listed. As owners and operators are unable to fully comply with the new contractual requirements until the approved service providers have been formally notified, the DGMA has exercised its powers to grant vessels already operating in, or otherwise permitted entry into, Indian coastal waters an exemption period of six months, until 1 April 2027, to comply with the additional requirements introduced by the 2026 Rules.
Full advisory at the following link.