This new mandate requires CCTV systems with real-time insights on vessels to enhance safety measures and optimize incident response time.
The State of Safety in Maritime Industry vs. Other Industries
Security camera systems are widely used across many industries for safety, security, and transparency—from public spaces to high-risk industrial sites—where they help monitor activities, prevent incidents, and support investigations. However, the maritime industry has lagged in adopting these advanced tools, often resulting in safety practices that fall short compared to sectors like aviation.
In aviation, rigorous standards and advanced technologies are in place to proactively mitigate risks, with near-miss incidents triggering swift, comprehensive safety reviews. In contrast, similar incidents in maritime often go unnoticed or unaddressed until a major incident occurs (i.e. the Dali incident in Baltimore), highlighting the very urgent need for improved protocols and technology adoption at sea.
Despite regulations, training, audits, and procedures, the maritime industry remains riddled with major incidents, fatalities, and financial losses. Data from multiple organizations such as Bureau Veritas and London P&I Club shows a troubling trend of recurring incidents such as collisions and loss of propulsion—reflecting both failures in safety adherence and broader gaps in risk management. Recent figures, such as the near doubling of casualties in enclosed spaces, reflect that these issues are systemic rather than isolated, highlighting the urgent need for the industry to adopt advanced safety technologies and proactive monitoring systems that can detect and prevent hazards before they escalate into serious incidents.
Installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Systems on Indian and Foreign-Flagged Vessels Visiting Indian Ports
The Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) in India has issued a draft order that advances the maritime industry’s approach to safety and security: requiring comprehensive Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) systems on Indian-flagged vessels and foreign-flagged vessels visiting Indian ports. In the Merchant Shipping Notice No. XX of 2024, dated October 14, 2024 the DGS highlights that this mandate is a response to a rise in maritime incidents and aims to strengthen vessel monitoring, safeguard seafarers, and optimize incident response times.
What Prompted This Mandate?
Recent incidents aboard vessels, including collisions, casualties, personnel disappearances and other maritime security concerns have prompted a thorough reassessment of existing safety protocols and the implementation of more robust security measures. The DGS mandate aims to address these gaps through comprehensive CCTV systems capable of continuous recording, accurate documentation, and immediate alerts for unusual events.
Traditional CCTV systems alone are limited in their ability to achieve these goals. They can capture footage but lack the advanced analytical capabilities needed for swift detection and responses. With the introduction of AI, these CCTV systems can help ensure proactive and informed action for a safer maritime environment.
Key Requirements
The DGS mandate provides specific timelines and requirements for various types of vessels:
- Foreign Vessels Converting to Indian Flag: These vessels have a 12-month timeline from receiving their permanent certificate of registry to install CCTV systems.
- Indian-Flagged Vessels Over 500 GT: These vessels must install CCTV systems by their next dry-docking or within 24 months of the circular’s issuance date, whichever comes first.
- New Constructions: All newly constructed vessels, regardless of tonnage, are required to have CCTV systems in place before their sea trials begin.
- Foreign-Flagged Vessels Visiting Indian Ports (500 GT or more): They have a 12-month timeline to comply with this mandate.
This mandate, along with similar regulatory efforts worldwide (such as the recent Pilbara Ports’ Port of Port Hedland CCTV regulations update, deadline January 2025 and US’ Safer Seas Act), highlights the authorities’ initiatives towards standardized maritime safety practices that protect both crew members and enhance global security.
Summary of the Technical Specifications for CCTV Systems
According to the directive, these CCTV systems must meet strict technical specifications as follows:
- High-Resolution Coverage: Cameras must capture video in 1080p Full HD at a minimum of 30 frames per second to ensure clear visuals. The wide dynamic range (WDR) capability is required to maintain visual clarity in varied lighting conditions.
- Weather and Nighttime Capability: Cameras should be IP66 or higher for weatherproofing, and they must include infrared or low-light capabilities to perform effectively in unlit or low-light areas.
- PTZ Functionality: Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) capability is mandated in high-risk areas, offering adaptable coverage that can adjust to security needs and situational requirements.
- Real-time Monitoring: A centralized monitoring station shall be established on the bridge or in a dedicated security office, with a user-friendly interface for real-time monitoring and playback.
Traditional CCTV Is No Longer Sufficient
Traditional maritime CCTV systems fall short in providing ship owners and managers with the comprehensive visibility needed for safe and secure operations at sea. While these systems capture hours of footage, the reality is that much of this data remains unwatched and underutilized. This lack of oversight can lead to significant operational inefficiencies and increased risks, as crews may miss critical safety procedures or maintenance schedules.
AI-powered maritime CCTV provides context to CCTV footage. The introduction of AI delivers analysis that considers factors such as ship status, time of day, weather and sea conditions, and typical activities for specific periods. This enables informed, preventive actions to be taken, helping to prevent incidents or accidents before they occur.
In addition, AI can watch multiple footage at once, without missing a beat. To do this properly would require hiring multiple people to watch footage from each ship—a near-impossible task for even the most attentive employees. In reality, many hours of traditional maritime CCTV footage remains unwatched and inaccessible both to onboard crew and management ashore, making it difficult to gain more visibility into maritime operations unless a major incident has already occurred—and by then, it’s too late.
ShipIn’s patented AI-powered FleetVision analyzes video in real-time, automatically detects anomalies, risks/hazards, unsafe practices, and events of interest. These insights are leading indicators presented in dashboards both onboard and onshore, including analytics and reports for measuring compliance and safety performance, fleet benchmarking and continuous improvement.
Our technology provides a wealth of data empowering the captain and crew onboard to self-assess, and deliver significant improvements in vessels’ safety and productivity while allowing fleet operators and the management to make proactive, data-driven decisions.
Watch our case study: ZEABORN Achieves 17% Increase in Navigation Safety with ShipIn
Leverage AI to Unlock Maritime Safety & Productivity
India’s push for comprehensive CCTV systems on vessels is more than just a regulatory change—it is a commitment to safeguarding lives at sea and securing global trade routes. However, meeting these strict requirements cannot be accomplished with traditional CCTV alone.
Having FleetVision onboard not only meets the mandate’s requirements but also enhances vessel productivity and operational safety, providing continuous monitoring and real-time insights across critical areas such as navigation, cargo, technical, security and MARPOL.
Our Commitment to Safety, Compliance and Customer Satisfaction
At ShipIn Systems, we understand that achieving meaningful improvements requires advanced technology and leveraging available solutions to improve safety standards.
That’s why we will match qualified offers. If you find a lower price from a vendor to comply with India’s DGS’ new CCTV regulations, we’ll not only match their proposal while also enabling automatic computer vision detections, but also ensure that you receive exceptional support from our team of maritime experts. This commitment reflects our dedication to customer satisfaction and our confidence in the quality and reliability of our FleetVision platform.
