India Opens Ship Registry to Vessels with Majority Indian Ownership
India has opened its national ship register to vessels that are majority-owned by eligible Indian owners, ending the old rule that a ship had to be wholly Indian-owned to fly the Indian flag. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in New Delhi issued the notification, S.O. 6114(E), on 9 November 2026 under Section 15(1) of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025. It was published in the Gazette of India on 12 November.
Under the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Vessels) Rules, 2026, every vessel is divided into 100 shares. Eligible owners must together hold at least 51 shares, so a 50:50 split does not qualify, but a qualifying ship can keep minority co-owners. Eligible owners include Indian citizens (including NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and companies, co-operative societies and LLPs with their registered office or main place of business in India.
From the CrewMirror Blog
Where an NRI or OCI holds the majority, the ship must have an authorised representative who is an Indian citizen living in India or an Indian company. Owners apply to the registrar at their chosen port of registry with proof of ownership, a survey certificate and other documents. The old Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 required 100% Indian ownership.
The change should make it easier to bring partners and investment into Indian-flag shipping at a time when Indian companies want to own more tonnage. Indian Oil plans to buy its own crude and LPG carriers, for example, and new capacity such as the Dugarajapatnam shipbuilding cluster is being planned. Over time, a larger Indian-flag fleet could also mean more berths for Indian seafarers.
CrewMirror Takeaway
If more ships join the Indian flag, Indian seafarers may find more jobs on vessels under Indian law and DGMA oversight. Seafarers joining any ship are still wise to check its owner, P&I cover and recruiting agency before signing on.
