India prohibits maritime training by foreign authorities

The Directorate General of Shipping has issued a directive barring foreign governments, maritime bodies, agencies, institutions, and their representatives from offering maritime training within India—whether in-person, online, or via distance learning—if such programs lead to seafarers’ competency certification under the STCW Convention without prior written approval.

The order emphasizes strict compliance, warning that any violations will face regulatory and legal consequences. Penalties include blacklisting of involved Indian institutions, agents, or seafarers, and cases will be escalated to enforcement authorities under the Merchant Shipping Act and the Information Technology Act.

The Directorate General of Shipping has reinforced its stance against unauthorized maritime training by foreign entities. It has now prohibited foreign governments, maritime administrations, agencies, institutions, and representatives from conducting any form of maritime training within India—including online or distance learning—those results in the issuance of seafarers’ certificates under the STCW Convention, unless prior written approval is granted.

Certifications or outcomes from such unauthorized programs will be outright rejected. The STCW Convention (1978), adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), outlines global standards for the training and certification of seafarers to safeguard lives at sea and protect the marine environment. It requires that all issued certificates comply with strict criteria covering service experience, age, health standards, professional training, and examinations.

Indian institutions currently conducting STCW courses or short-term modules on behalf of foreign administrations have been ordered to halt these activities immediately. They must submit full details of such programs to the Directorate General for scrutiny and potential legal action, which may include blacklisting and enforcement under the Merchant Shipping Act and the Information Technology Act.

Ship owners, ship managers, approved Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs), Recruitment and Placement Service License (RPSL) companies and related stakeholders have been advised not to collaborate with unapproved foreign training providers and to report such offers or attempts to the Directorate. Foreign administrations intending to conduct maritime training in India must submit a formal proposal to the Directorate seeking prior approval.

The order is issued in the interest of maintaining the sanctity, sovereignty and international credibility of India’s maritime training system and to ensure that no Indian seafarer receives substandard or unregulated training from unauthorized foreign sources, the D G Shipping wrote in the order. Maritime education and training provided to Indian seafarers are required to meet strict national and international standards as prescribed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and enforced by the Directorate. The Directorate ensures compliance with the STCW Convention and is responsible for safeguarding the quality and credibility of seafarer training in India.

However, many of the private training centres claiming to have authorization from foreign maritime administrations do not have approval of the Director General of Shipping. Such activities are unauthorised and in contravention of Indian law and international obligations and they undermine the regulatory authority of the Indian maritime administration, the D G Shipping said.

On July 18, the D G Shipping issued a circular that barred Indian seafarers holding certificates issued by maritime administrations of countries that are not recognised by India from sailing on foreign flagged ships. The move, though, sparked widespread criticism over fears that thousands of Indian seafarers would lose jobs. It led a couple of seafarers to file a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking to reverse the circular issued by the maritime regulator.

On Thursday, hundreds of seafarers, under the banner of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI), staged a demonstration in front of the office of the Directorate General of Shipping demanding withdrawal of the July 18 circular. The FSUI said that thousands of Indian seafarers will face career disruption, disqualification, and financial insecurity due to the circular which will increase the burden of compliance, due diligence, and legal ambiguity for RPSL agencies and shipping companies.