Archive · 5 Sep 2026
DGMA Launches Seafarer Tracking Module on e-NAVIK Portal
India has created a new online system to keep track of its seafarers at sea.
The system is called the Seafarer Tracking Module and is on the e-NAVIK portal.
Shipping companies must add information about ships, their journeys and Indian crew members.
They must first update ships in areas considered dangerous.
These areas include the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Black Sea.
The ship’s location must then be updated every day.
The information is meant to help authorities respond quickly if there is an emergency.
The system is still being tested, and access to the data will be limited to authorised personnel.
The government introduced it amid reports of Indian seafarers dying in the Middle East crisis and the Black Sea region.
The Directorate General of Maritime Administration launched a beta Seafarer Tracking Module on its e-NAVIK portal.
The system is intended to track Indian seafarers aboard Indian- and foreign-flagged vessels.
Recruitment and Placement Service Licensees and shipping companies must enter vessel, voyage, crew and position details.
Priority coverage includes the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Black Sea.
The move follows heightened maritime risks, including reports of Indian seafarer deaths linked to the Middle East crisis and Black Sea hostilities.
- Who
- The Directorate General of Maritime Administration, along with Recruitment and Placement Service Licensees and shipping companies.
- What
- The launch of a beta Seafarer Tracking Module to monitor Indian seafarers and their vessels.
- When
- The circular was issued on September 4, 2026, with immediate implementation requested.
- Where
- On the e-NAVIK portal, initially covering vessels in specified high-risk maritime regions.
- Why
- To improve information sharing, coordination and emergency response amid heightened maritime security threats.
- System
- Seafarer Tracking Module on the e-NAVIK portal
- Status
- Operating in beta version
- Required users
- Recruitment and Placement Service Licensees, shipowners, operators and shipping companies
- Required information
- Vessel identification, voyage data, Indian crew details, applicable RPSL information and vessel position
- Priority regions
- Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Black Sea
- Update schedule
- Vessel positions are to be updated daily, with crew sign-on and sign-off updated regularly
- Data access
- Position and other module data will be confidential and accessible only to authorised personnel
- Reported fatalities
- The Ministry of External Affairs said 10 Indian seafarers died due to the Middle East crisis, while five more were confirmed dead in the Black Sea region