The Strait of Hormuz is officially a no-go zone for Indian seafarers.
If you are running a shipping company or managing a recruitment agency, you need to rewrite your deployment plans immediately. The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA)—India's maritime regulator—just issued a directive that cannot be ignored. They are telling shipowners, managers, and Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) firms to completely stop deploying Indian sailors on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
This isn't a gentle suggestion. It's a direct response to a rapidly deteriorating security crisis that has already claimed the lives of Indian crew members.
The Boiling Point in the Gulf
We aren't talking about abstract geopolitical posturing anymore. The threat is active, physical, and lethal.
Just this week, two major commercial vessels—the MT Al Bahiyah and the MT Mombasa—were struck while trying to transit the vital choke point. These two ships alone carried 30 Indian sailors among their crews. The fallout was tragic: one Indian seafarer was killed, and another was severely injured onboard the MT Al Bahiyah. On the MT Mombasa, nine more Indian nationals suffered injuries.
These aren't isolated incidents. Other merchant vessels, including the GFS Galaxy, MT Wedyan, and Al Rekayyat, have faced similar hostile targeting in these waters.
The roots of the flare-up are deeply tied to escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. Following fresh US military strikes on Iranian coastal defenses and the imposition of naval blockades, Tehran has pushed back hard. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has actively targeted ships trying to bypass blockades or those they claim are ignoring maritime warnings.
In a highly volatile theater, merchant vessels have become easy targets. And because India provides a massive chunk of the global seafaring workforce—over 310,000 sailors, making it the second-largest supplier in the world—Indian crew members are disproportionately catching the blows.
What the DGMA Advisory Demands Right Now
The DGMA’s Circular No. 36 of 2026 lays down explicit rules for ship operators:
- Halt Deployments: Do not assign Indian seafarers to any vessel whose route includes the Strait of Hormuz. This restriction remains active "until further orders".
- Max Security Alert: If you have ships currently in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, or the Gulf of Oman, your captains must maintain maximum security vigilance.
- Enforce the Codes: Vessels must strictly implement their Ship Security Plans and comply fully with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.
- Verify Information: Do not spread unverified social media posts or videos about security incidents. The regulator warns that fake news only fuels panic and compromises operational safety.
If a crew needs immediate assistance, ships are directed to contact the DG Communication Centre (MMDAC) or the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) without delay.
Real Time Tracking is the New Normal
You can't hide your crew assignments under foreign flags anymore.
Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal stepped in to address the vulnerability of Indian crews working on foreign-flagged ships. He ordered the DGMA to set up a comprehensive, vessel-by-vessel operational dashboard.
This system tracks every Indian seafarer operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman in real-time. It doesn't matter if the ship flies the flag of Panama, Liberia, or the Marshall Islands. If there is an Indian passport holder on board, the government is watching their location, the vessel ownership, the cargo, and the local threat level.
The Next Steps for Fleet Managers
If you manage shipping operations, hoping for the best is no longer an option. You need to protect your crew and shield your company from severe regulatory and legal liabilities.
First, audit your active crew lists. Identify every Indian national currently scheduled for voyages passing through the Persian Gulf or the Arabian Sea.
Second, adjust your routing. If a voyage must go through the Strait of Hormuz, you have to replace Indian crew members with other nationalities before transit, or reroute the cargo entirely. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) is actively lobbying the government and international bodies, asserting that seafarers cannot be treated as collateral damage. The industry's patience with risky deployments has completely run out.
Finally, keep your emergency communication channels open. Ensure your captains have the direct contact details for the MMDAC and the Indian Navy's IFC-IOR programmed into their primary communication systems. Minutes save lives when a vessel is targeted.
