Under the new bill, Indian ships will not require separate licences. It will be presumed that they have got approvals when the vessel is registered, Kumar said. It is expected that these changes will enable concerted regulation of trade activities, particularly by foreign flag vessels in India's coastal waters, including in the country's exclusive economic zones. Foreign vessels will need to verify their identity, scope of work and other factors that may impact India's safety, security, environment and other coastal shipping related interests.