Indian Ships Will Now Get Lifetime Licences

In order to reduce unnecessary procedures, the Shipping Ministry will now issue lifetime licences to Indian ships and any other ship chartered by an Indian citizen or company.

Presently, such licences are required to be renewed every year. The decision regarding this was taken by Road Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The fee charged for such licences will a ‘lifetime fee’ instead of the present annual fee. A ship is registered by the principal officers of mercantile marine departments (MMD) of the director general (shipping). They will now have the power to issue lifetime licences.

The decision will help vessels engaged in coastal trading as the process is decentralized and liberalised.