Rajya Sabha Passes ‘Bills of Lading 2025’: A New Era for Indian Maritime Law
New Delhi, July 22 — In a landmark step towards modernising India’s maritime legal landscape, the Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Bills of Lading, 2025 bill on the opening day of the monsoon session. With both houses of Parliament now having cleared the legislation, the bill moves forward for Presidential assent, after which it will officially become law.
Once enacted, the bill will replace the Indian Bills of Lading Act, 1856, a colonial-era law that has governed maritime shipping documentation in India for over 169 years. The new framework seeks to align Indian maritime law with global standards and make shipping documentation simpler, clearer, and more business-friendly.
The bill was tabled in the Upper House by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, who hailed the legislation as a “watershed moment” for India’s maritime sector.
“This legislation not only symbolises a definitive break from our colonial past but also embraces the spirit of Ease of Doing Business (EODB),” said Minister Sonowal during his address in the Rajya Sabha.
A Shift Toward Modern, Clearer Maritime Law
The Bills of Lading, 2025 bill introduces significant changes to the way shipping documents are managed and interpreted. According to the Minister, the new law replaces outdated and archaic legal language with modern, business-friendly terminology, aiming to reduce confusion and ambiguity for all stakeholders in the maritime trade ecosystem — including carriers, shippers, and lawful holders of bills of lading.
By streamlining rights and obligations and introducing clarity in shipping documentation, the law is expected to reduce litigation risks and enhance legal certainty. This, in turn, will improve dispute resolution and reduce operational delays, especially important in cross-border and international shipping scenarios.
Strengthening India’s Global Trade Position
Another key benefit highlighted in the legislation is India’s improved alignment with international maritime conventions and documentation practices. This modernisation helps strengthen India’s credibility in global trade and gives Indian shipping entities a level playing field while engaging with foreign counterparts.
“This is not merely a legal change — it’s a statement of intent that India is ready to lead and compete confidently in the global maritime economy,” Sonowal added.
Enabling Government Oversight and Implementation
The bill includes an enabling clause that authorises the Central Government to issue directions for its implementation. This ensures that as shipping practices evolve globally, the Indian framework can remain adaptive and responsive without requiring frequent legislative overhauls.
Additionally, the bill contains a standard repeal and saving clause, which ensures that all actions and legal decisions taken under the previous 1856 Act will retain their validity. This clause provides a crucial bridge between the old and the new legal frameworks, safeguarding continuity while embracing reform.
Simplification for Ease of Doing Business
At its core, the Bills of Lading, 2025 is part of a broader government effort to promote transparency, legal clarity, and ease of doing business in India. By restructuring complex provisions, eliminating outdated language, and providing a modern framework, the new law aims to reduce bureaucratic burdens on the shipping industry.
Industry experts and legal analysts have welcomed the development, noting that the updated law is likely to enhance India’s attractiveness as a logistics and shipping hub.
With the Rajya Sabha’s nod, the bill now awaits formal assent by the President of India, after which it will be notified into law — ushering in a new era for maritime trade documentation in India.
“This is just the beginning,” said an official from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways. “More reforms are on the horizon to support India’s ambitions of becoming a global maritime leader.”
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