For all vessels calling at Indian ports, the Directorate General of Shipping would require Indian port authorities to put in place a thorough procedure for verifying the legitimacy and authenticity of the Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance certificates, including proof of premium payments.
D G Shipping-approved non-IG insurers and the 13-member International Group of Protection and Indemnity Clubs (IG Clubs), headquartered in London, will make sure that the port authorities can verify the validity of P&I certificates online, including the status of premium payments and other details.
A draft Merchant Shipping notice on “Mandatory Verification of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Certificate by Indian Port Authorities” states that starting on January 1, 2025, the practice of confirming these facts via email will no longer be used.
Documents must be transmitted by electronic mail or by physical delivery methods by November 30th. All document submissions must thereafter be made through the appropriate Maritime Single Window (MSW) in order to comply with the MSW regulations and streamline the procedure.
