New Delhi, July 21 — In a major legislative reform aimed at modernizing India’s maritime trade laws, the Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Bills of Lading Act, 2025, paving the way to replace the archaic 169-year-old Indian Bill of Lading Act of 1856. The bill had earlier received approval from the Lok Sabha in March and will now be sent to the President for assent before becoming law.
The updated legislation was passed by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha amid a walk-out by Opposition members during the post-lunch session. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, who moved the bill, called it a step toward making maritime shipping laws simpler, more effective, and aligned with modern global standards.
The new law seeks to address the needs of India’s expanding shipping sector by replacing the brief, outdated three-section colonial act with a comprehensive and user-friendly framework. The revised act not only modernizes legal terminology but also reorganizes key provisions without changing their core intent.
A bill of lading is a critical document in the shipping industry. Issued by freight carriers to shippers, it contains important details such as the type, quantity, and destination of goods transported. The new legislation ensures better legal clarity and simplifies dispute resolution in shipping transactions.
The Bill also empowers the Central government to issue necessary directives to ensure smooth implementation and includes a standard repeal-and-savings clause to formally do away with outdated colonial-era provisions.
With both Houses of Parliament now having cleared the bill, industry stakeholders are optimistic that the modernized legal framework will foster greater efficiency, legal clarity, and ease of doing business in the shipping and logistics sector.
