The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025 is a significant new legislation passed by the Parliament to modernize and replace the nearly century-old Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925.
 
Key objectives include:
 

• Promoting ease of doing business by simplifying the legal provisions related to sea cargo transportation, reducing complexity and litigation risks.
• Enhancing transparency, clarity, and commercial efficiency in maritime trade contracts including clear allocation of liabilities and responsibilities among carriers, consignees, and others.
• Enabling the central government with regulatory flexibility to issue directions and amend rules dynamically in response to changing trade practices.
• Aligning India’s maritime legal framework with global best practices to boost India’s competitiveness in international shipping and attract investment.
• Supporting India’s broader vision of becoming a globally trusted and future-ready maritime trade hub by shedding colonial-era legal remnants.
• Facilitating India’s participation in international trade agreements and complying with international maritime conventions.

 
Key features of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2025 include:
 

• It updates and replaces the outdated colonial-era law to align India’s maritime trade laws with global best practices and international maritime standards, specifically adopting the globally recognized Hague-Visby Rules.

 

• The Bill sets out clear responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities for the carriage of goods by sea from Indian ports, bringing more clarity and reducing the complexity of legal aspects in maritime trade.

 

• It grants the central government the authority to issue directions for the implementation of the Bill and to amend rules related to bills of lading, which are key shipping documents listing details about the goods carried.

 

• The legislation aims to simplify maritime trade laws, reduce litigation risks, enhance transparency, and improve commercial efficiency for exporters, importers, and shipping companies.

 

• It promotes ease of doing business in India’s shipping sector and supports the government's broader vision of making India a globally trusted maritime trade hub.

 

• The Bill was passed with broad bipartisan support and is part of a series of reforms to make India’s maritime sector future-ready, supporting the country’s ambitions to grow as a major economic power.

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