Indian Register of Shipping takes one of India’s largest crude tankers, VLCC Lila Jamnagar, into class

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) has taken into class Lila Jamnagar, a 298,997 DWT Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) that ranks among the largest vessels ever to sail under the Indian flag. The development marks a significant milestone for India’s tanker fleet and underscores the expanding role of Indian classification in supporting the country’s broader maritime ambitions.

The vessel is owned by RFK Shipping IFSC Private Limited and operated through the Lila Global platform. It has been registered at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), making Lila Jamnagar the first Indian-flagged VLCC to be structured through the financial hub – a distinction that reflects GIFT City’s growing relevance as an enabler of maritime asset ownership and investment in India.

For IRS, the classing of a vessel of this scale and complexity signals a maturation of its technical capabilities. VLCCs engaged in global energy transportation demand rigorous oversight across safety, structural integrity and operational performance, and IRS has committed to supporting Lila Jamnagar throughout its full operational lifecycle in line with international classification standards.

Speaking on the development, P K Mishra, Managing Director of IRS, said that India’s ambition to expand its merchant fleet and strengthen its energy transportation capabilities requires robust technical oversight and globally recognised standards. He added that the classification of Lila Jamnagar demonstrates IRS’s ability to support large tanker operations while contributing to the growth of India’s maritime ecosystem.

The milestone arrives at a time when India is seeking to deepen its presence in global shipping, particularly in the energy sector. The combination of a domestically classified VLCC, an IFSC-based ownership structure and registration through GIFT City points to a more integrated approach to building out India’s maritime infrastructure — one that links financial innovation with operational capability.

Whether Lila Jamnagar proves to be a one-off achievement or the first of many such vessels will depend on how quickly the conditions that enabled it — regulatory clarity, financial structuring through GIFT City, and IRS’s technical readiness — can be replicated at scale. For now, the vessel’s classing represents a concrete step forward for Indian shipping.

For more information visit www.irclass.org

17 March 2026