The “Lila Jamnagar” is one of the largest ships ever to sail under the Indian flag. The subcontinent has enormous ambitions in shipping.
The Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) has registered the crude oil tanker “Lila Jamnagar”. At 298,997 dwt, the VLCC-class vessel is one of the largest units sailing under the Indian flag.
The flagging of the ship is “a milestone” for the Indian tanker fleet and underlines the growing importance of the IRS for the country’s maritime ambitions. With the classification, the IRS has proven that it can also offer technical services for large, complex ships in global energy transportation. The registry will look after the “Lila Jamnagar” throughout its service life and ensure compliance with international standards.
“India’s drive to expand its merchant fleet and strengthen its energy transportation capabilities requires robust technical oversight and internationally recognized standards,” said P. K. Mishra, Managing Director of IRS. “The classification of the ‘Lila Jamnagar’ demonstrates IRS’ ability to support large tanker operations while contributing to the growth of India’s maritime ecosystem.”
The vessel is owned by RFK Shipping and operated through the Lila Global platform. It was financed and subsequently registered through the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City for short). The finance center cited the completion of the project as proof of the “growing importance” of GIFT City in facilitating investment structures in the maritime sector.
Shipbuilding investments and own shipping company
The flagging-in of the “Lila Jamnagar” is one of a series of major announcements in recent times. India is planning to become a major shipping nation over the next 20 years – in addition to the growing register, this includes huge investments in the shipbuilding sector, the development and maintenance of the necessary maritime infrastructure and its own state-owned container shipping company. More than 100 ships are to sail for the newly founded “Bharat Container Shipping Line” in future, which would make the company one of the top 20 liner shipping companies in the world.
In January, the EU and India also signed a free trade agreement, which still has to be ratified. However, there are already initial hopes from the port industry that the resulting largest economic zone in the world with 2 billion people will mean a significant gain for German companies.
