India Imposes Age Ban on Buying or Operating Cargo Ships

India’s government is moving forward with imposing age restrictions on the ships that can be acquired or operated to India in an effort it says to modernize and improve the quality of the country’s fleet and to help India meet the emerging emissions regulations. The rules will be applied to most classes of commercial ships either owned or chartered by Indian shipping companies or foreign flag ships operating within the Exclusive Economic Zone of India.

“Whereas the average age of the world’s fleet is on the declining trend, the average age of the Indian tonnage is on the increasing trend over the years,” writes the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) based in Mumbai. “This is a need to modernize the Indian fleet, which requires extensive review of the requirements of the registration and operation of ships, to ensure quality tonnage under the Indian flag.”