Bill to update 169-year-old shipping law gets approval

The Lok Sabha passed Bills of Lading Bill, 2025, on Monday. An official statement said this modernises the 169-year-old colonial shipping law.

The three-section act primarily governs the transfer of rights and confirmation that goods were loaded onto a vessel. Ports, shipping and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal said this will eliminate archaic provisions and aligns India's maritime laws with global standards, enabling smoother and more secure shipping practices.

The new legislation aims to simplify the language and reorganise provisions without altering their underlying substance. It also empowers the Centre to issue directions to facilitate the law's implementation along with an inclusion of a standard repeal and saving clause, while eliminating the colonial legacy of the 1856 Act.