MARITIME LAWS AND SHIPPING REGULATIONS

Maritime transport constitutes a critical component of India's economic and strategic framework, connecting the country with major international markets through the Indian Ocean. This paper examines India's maritime legal and regulatory framework with particular emphasis on the interaction between international maritime conventions and domestic legislation. It analyses the role of international instruments, including the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), alongside India's domestic maritime legislation and admiralty jurisprudence. Particular attention is given to the comprehensive maritime legislative reforms introduced in 2025, including the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, Indian Ports Act, 2025, Coastal Shipping Act, 2025, and Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 2025. The paper evaluates how these reforms seek to modernise India's maritime governance, strengthen maritime safety and security, improve port administration, facilitate coastal shipping, enhance environmental compliance, and align domestic law with international standards. It further identifies contemporary challenges relating to technological advancement, environmental sustainability, institutional coordination, and effective regulatory enforcement. The study concludes that the 2025 reforms represent a significant restructuring of India's maritime legal framework and have the potential to strengthen India's position as a competitive, sustainable, and internationally integrated maritime power, provided that effective implementation and institutional capacity accompany legislative reform.