New Delhi, March 11 -- In an effort to support the country's growing shipping sector, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal introduced the Bills of Lading Bill, 2025, which aims to update and simplify the legal framework for shipping documents. The proposed legislation will replace the colonial-era Indian Bills of Lading Act, 1856, providing a more modern and user-friendly approach to maritime shipping. The Lok Sabha passed the Bills of Lading Bill, 2025 modernising the 169 years old colonial shipping law.

The current law, a brief three-section act, primarily governs the transfer of rights and confirmation that goods were loaded onto a vessel. With the shipping industry evolving and the global trade landsc...