Indian Economic Times recently revealed that the Indian government plans to define an age limit for vessels, whether Indian-registered or foreign-flagged. Oil tankers, bulk carriers and general cargo ships, that are 25 years old or more, will be banned from calling Indian ports, says the news agency. The age limit for container ships, and several other types of vessels, will be set at 30 years. “Second-hand ships, across categories, of 20 years and above cannot be acquired by Indian entities and registered under the Indian flag,” added the report. This move aims at encouraging the use of a younger and more energy-efficient fleet that is more compliant with global decarbonisation rules. While this measure could help reduce the pollution in India’s maritime sector, experts warned the age limitation could negatively impact coastal and feeder services. This is especially true for carriers that have invested in an older, smaller fleet as demand surged in the past couple of years. It is yet unknown when this age limitation will be applicable in the country, but the government intends to review and specify certain requirements before it starts deregistering older ships from its registry.