The Indian government is to permit its seafarers to work aboard ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz – with a “heightened level of security vigilance” in place.
The move by India's Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) comes three weeks after it barred its sailors from joining voyages through the vital waterway, amid safety fears stemming from the US-Iran war.
The DGMA on Thursday released a circular – dated Wednesday, August 5 – setting out precautionary measures which must be followed for its citizens to travel through the Strait of Hormuz.
The ban was introduced on July 16 following the deaths of two Indian seafarers as attacks on vessels increased in the conflict-hit area.
Advisory issued
The authority said heightened security vigilance is required for masters of vessels operating in the Arabian Gulf, with strict protocols in place for monitoring advisories and following procedures.
Any entity deploying Indian seafarers on routes through the Strait of Hormuz is required to inform the directorate general's communications centre of the transit. Additionally, consent from individual Indian seafarers is a requirement for those transiting the strait.
“Recent incidents involving attacks on merchant vessels have highlighted the increasing risks faced by seafarers and commercial ships operating in the conflict-affected area,” read the circular.
Recent incidents
A Cyprus-flagged container vessel, GFS Galaxy, was hit by an Iranian strike on Sunday, July 12, killing an Indian engineer. Herambh Karmarkar was declared missing after the attack, and his death was confirmed on Wednesday.
One Indian sailor was killed and a total of 45 Indian and Ukrainian seafarers were rescued from UAE tankers Al Bahyah and Mombasa after fires broke out on board following Iranian strikes on July 14.
India recently surpassed China to become the world's second-largest supplier of seafarers, with more than 300,000 sailors working across global shipping fleets, according to government data. India's share has risen from about 5 per cent in 2015 to upwards of 12 per cent in 2026.
Renewed hope over Strait of Hormuz
India's decision comes as efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz – which normally provides passage for about 20 per cent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas – gather pace.
The US and the UN’s maritime agency will join Iran and Oman in announcing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart a 60-day ceasefire negotiation period, PBS has reported.
The arrangement would redirect shipping through separate lanes, with inbound vessels using a route closer to Iran and outbound traffic moving nearer Oman, the US broadcaster reported, citing four sources.
The temporary deal would impose no fees or tolls on vessels and is designed to restore the ceasefire and June 17 framework agreement, restarting talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, frozen assets and a permanent Hormuz arrangement.
