<p data-path-to-node="5">Proposed regulatory revisions to impose stricter <b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="70">vessel age norms and operational retirement thresholds</b> under the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways have drawn sharp pushback from domestic shipowners, coastal operators, and maritime trade bodies.</p><p data-path-to-node="6">While policymakers are advocating for stricter age ceilings to modernize the national commercial fleet, enhance maritime safety, and enforce environmental compliance under international decarbonization mandates, industry stakeholders warn that abrupt age caps will undermine Indian-flagged tonnage, distort coastal cabotage shipping, and inflate freight costs across critical domestic supply chains.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="8">Key Operational Highlights &amp; Industry Pushback</h3><ul data-path-to-node="9"><li><p data-path-to-node="9,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="9,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Contested Age Caps Across Vessel Categories:</b> The proposed framework seeks to tighten the maximum entry and operational age limits for various commercial vessel segments including crude and product tankers, bulk carriers, offshore supply vessels (OSVs), gas carriers, and tugs seeking to register under the Indian flag or engage in coastal cabotage operations.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="9,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="9,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Risk of Domestic Tonnage Depletion:</b> Maritime industry associations, including the Indian National Shipowners' Association (INSA), argue that arbitrarily lowering vessel age limits without adequate long-term maritime financing mechanisms will trigger a sharp contraction in Indian-flagged tonnage, running contrary to the Maritime India Vision 2030 objective of scaling the national fleet.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="9,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="9,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Capital Cost and Fleet Replacement Friction:</b> Domestic operators point out that acquiring younger, eco-efficient tonnage requires substantial capital expenditure, which remains constrained by high interest rates, limited access to maritime infrastructure funds, and uncompetitive taxation compared to foreign-flagged vessels.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="9,3,0"><b data-path-to-node="9,3,0" data-index-in-node="0">Impact on Offshore and Coastal Logistics:</b> Stricter age limits could immediately disrupt offshore oil and gas support operations (servicing state-owned entities like ONGC) and coastal dry bulk movements (such as thermal coal, cement, and steel), where older, well-maintained vessels currently provide cost-effective transport capacity.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="9,4,0"><b data-path-to-node="9,4,0" data-index-in-node="0">Calls for Condition-Based Over Age-Based Rules:</b> Industry representatives are urging regulators to adopt comprehensive condition-based assessment frameworks benchmarking structural seaworthiness, regular dry-dock inspections, IACS classification ratings, and emission performance rather than enforcing rigid age-based disqualifications.</p></li></ul><h3 data-path-to-node="11"></h3>