India’s ship safety certification body, the Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass), has cancelled the classification of 235 vessels since 2023 as it tightens scrutiny on ships suspected of helping to evade international trade sanctions, its executive chairman Arun Sharma has said. The Mumbai-based non-profit, one of the 11 members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), has mainly de-listed oil tankers along with a few gas carriers from its registry.
Sharma said IRClass has, since early 2023, stopped taking on any vessel that is subject to sanctions imposed by the United States, European Union or the United Kingdom. The agency has also removed ships already on its books when links to sanctioned trade or entities have emerged, resulting in around 13 million tonnes of deadweight tonnage being struck off its register.
Losing classification from a recognised society makes it difficult for ships to obtain marine insurance and port entry approvals, significantly constraining their commercial operations. The tougher stance comes amid heightened Western scrutiny of the so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers moving Russian and Iranian oil, and growing pressure on classification societies and insurers to enforce sanctions more rigorously.
IRClass’s move signals India’s intent to align more closely with global compliance standards even as it continues to import discounted Russian oil, and underscores the increasing risk faced by shipowners operating older or opaque-tonnage tankers in sanction-sensitive trades.
