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DG Shipping sets up Quick Response Team for emergency response and evacuation of Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf

March 03, 2026 5 min read International Relations Internal Security GS2 GS3
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What Happened

  • The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), under India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), constituted a dedicated 24x7 Quick Response Team (QRT) to provide emergency assistance, evacuation support, and welfare coordination for Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf amid escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict.
  • The QRT was placed under the leadership of Captain P.C. Meena, Deputy Director General (Crew), and is tasked with coordinating with shipping companies, Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) entities, Indian missions abroad, and families of seafarers.
  • The QRT operates round-the-clock, liaising with the Indian Navy, Ministry of External Affairs, IFC-IOR (Information Fusion Centre — Indian Ocean Region), MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), and Indian missions in the Gulf.
  • Four incidents involving Indian seafarers serving on foreign-flagged ships in the region had resulted in three fatalities and one injury by the time of the announcement, prompting the formation of the team.
  • Approximately 23,000 Indian seafarers are currently working in and around the Persian Gulf sea lanes; India is one of the world's largest suppliers of maritime manpower.

Static Topic Bridges

Directorate General of Shipping — Role and Mandate

The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) is the apex regulatory body for maritime affairs in India, functioning under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. It administers the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 — the primary legislation governing Indian merchant marine, seafarer welfare, and maritime safety.

  • DGS is responsible for certification and regulation of Indian seafarers, safety inspection of ships, flag state control, port state control, and implementation of international maritime conventions ratified by India.
  • India is a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN specialized agency for shipping safety and marine environment protection; the IMO's Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006) sets global standards for seafarer welfare that DGS is required to implement.
  • RPSL (Recruitment and Placement Service Licence) entities are private manning agencies registered with DGS that recruit and place Indian seafarers on foreign-flagged ships; DGS regulates and audits these agencies.
  • India's merchant marine manpower: India is among the top 5 nations globally supplying seafarers, with approximately 2.38 lakh active Indian seafarers (as of 2023), representing about 12% of the global seafaring workforce.
  • The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mumbai, is India's primary facility for coordinating search and rescue operations in India's Search and Rescue (SAR) region.

Connection to this news: DGS's QRT is a direct extension of its mandate under the Merchant Shipping Act — crisis welfare coordination is a core function that conflict zones activate; the formation of a dedicated 24x7 team signals the severity of the threat to Indian maritime manpower in the Gulf.

UNCLOS and Maritime Security in the Persian Gulf

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982) is the constitutional framework for ocean governance, defining the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to territorial waters, Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), high seas, and maritime security.

  • The Persian Gulf is a semi-enclosed sea; vessels transiting its waters and the Strait of Hormuz are protected under UNCLOS provisions on innocent passage (territorial waters) and transit passage (international straits used for international navigation).
  • IFC-IOR (Information Fusion Centre — Indian Ocean Region), established in 2018 at Gurugram, Haryana, is India's maritime domain awareness hub, coordinating real-time maritime information sharing with 22 partner nations and 6 multi-national maritime forces to counter piracy, smuggling, and other threats.
  • Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a US-led multinational naval partnership of 38 member nations operating in the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean to suppress piracy and protect commercial shipping. India is not a CMF member but cooperates as a partner.
  • The Djibouti Code of Conduct (2009, revised as the Jeddah Amendment, 2017) is a regional maritime security cooperation agreement among Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean littoral states, which India supports.
  • Attacks on commercial vessels in conflict zones can trigger insurance surcharges (war risk premiums), disrupting global trade; during the 2023-24 Red Sea Houthi attacks, war risk insurance premiums rose 10-fold.

Connection to this news: The QRT's coordination with IFC-IOR, the Indian Navy, and Indian missions reflects the multi-agency, multi-lateral framework through which India responds to maritime security threats; UNCLOS provides the legal basis for India's right to protect its seafarers on the high seas.

India's Maritime Interests in the Persian Gulf — Strategic and Economic Stakes

India's interest in Persian Gulf security extends beyond humanitarian concern for its seafarers. The Gulf is the artery through which India's energy imports, trade flows, diaspora remittances, and infrastructure investments all transit — making stability in Gulf waters a core national interest.

  • Approximately 40% of India's crude oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz; a sustained closure would trigger acute energy shortages and price spikes.
  • India's trade with the six GCC countries totals approximately $180 billion annually (2022-23), making the GCC collectively India's largest trading partner.
  • India has deployed Indian Navy vessels to the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean for anti-piracy operations continuously since 2008 (Operation Sankalp in the Gulf region during the 2019 Iran-US tensions).
  • India's strategic petroleum reserves (at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, and Padur) can cover approximately 10 days of net imports — limited buffer in a prolonged Gulf closure scenario.
  • India has bilateral Defence Cooperation Agreements with UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, providing a framework for maritime information sharing and crisis coordination.

Connection to this news: The DGS QRT's activation alongside Operation Sankalp-type naval presence reflects India's layered maritime response strategy: DGS handles seafarer welfare and civilian coordination, the Indian Navy provides military deterrence and escort capability, and IFC-IOR provides real-time situational awareness — all necessary given India's deep structural dependence on Gulf sea lanes.

Key Facts & Data

  • DG Shipping QRT: 24x7, led by Capt. P.C. Meena (Deputy Director General, Crew), under Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
  • Approximately 23,000 Indian seafarers currently working in and around Persian Gulf sea lanes.
  • Four incidents involving Indian seafarers in the Gulf had resulted in 3 fatalities and 1 injury before the QRT was constituted.
  • India has approximately 2.38 lakh active seafarers — about 12% of the global seafaring workforce.
  • India's crude oil imports via Strait of Hormuz: approximately 40% of total crude imports.
  • India-GCC bilateral trade: approximately $180 billion/year.
  • IFC-IOR (Gurugram): operational since 2018; partners with 22 nations and 6 multinational maritime forces.
  • India's strategic petroleum reserve capacity: approximately 5.33 million metric tonnes (~10 days of net imports).
  • India has bilateral Defence Cooperation Agreements with UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.