new delhi, April 8 -- The ministry of ports, shipping and waterways is preparing to roll out about 20 sectoral reforms in the first 90 days of FY27, including the creation of a maritime sector regulator, revamped shipbuilding incentives and measures to increase India's shipping tonnage, as part of a plan to strengthen the country's maritime ecosystem and cut logistics costs. The reform push, which is being finalized, is aimed at improving regulatory oversight, boosting domestic shipbuilding, increasing the share of Indian-flagged vessels in global trade and enhancing the ease of doing business across ports, shipping and inland waterways, two people aware of the matter said. "Reform measures like a dedicated maritime regulator, stronger support for shipbuilding and container manufacturing, and a push toward inland waterways and coastal shipping are especially impactful. They not only build domestic capacity but also make logistics more cost-effective and sustainable," said Pushpank Kaushik, chief executive officer and head of business development at Jassper Shipping, a global shipping and logistics company in Hyderabad. A key proposal under consideration is the setting up of a strengthened maritime regulator by expanding the role of the Directorate General of Shipping, which would be given wider powers over safety regulation, maritime training, ship registration and oversight of shipping operations. The move is aimed at creating a modern regulator in line with global maritime nations. The DG Shipping will be rechristened as the Directorate General of Maritime Administration. The ministry is working on revamped shipbuilding guidelines and a new framework to promote shipbuilding clusters in India, with the aim of increasing domestic capacity and reducing dependence on foreign yards. India has set a long-term target of becoming one of the top shipbuilding nations by 2047. The Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy update would aim at encouraging public sector units to form joint ventures for owning and operating Indian-built vessels. Officials said the government is looking to operationalize the proposed Maritime Development Fund, a Rs.25,000 financing facility aimed at providing long-term, low-cost funding for shipbuilding and maritime infrastructure. The fund is expected to play a key role in supporting domestic shipyards and encouraging fleet expansion by Indian shipping companies. The reform package will include policy measures to increase the number of Indian-flagged ships, including changes in tax, financing and regulatory norms, to make it more attractive for shipowners to register vessels in India rather than in foreign jurisdictions. "Shipping is global, capital-intensive and tightly regulated, so without consistent reforms, inefficiencies and higher costs can quickly creep in. What these changes do is create a more stable and predictable environment where businesses can operate with greater clarity and confidence," said Kaushik. The reform push is part of the government's maritime strategy under the Sagarmala programme and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which aim to modernize ports, promote green shipping and strengthen India's position in global maritime trade....