Shipping Companies in India with DG Shipping RPSL List (Valid, Invalid & Suspended – Updated 2026)

List of RPSL (Recruitment and Placement Service License) companies approved by DG Shipping in India — a quick reference list to check whether an RPSL shipping company in India is genuine, and to help seafarers avoid fake recruitment agents.

Published: 1 May 2023  |  Updated: 15 July 2026 — refreshed directly from the official DG Shipping (DGMA) database (525 Valid, 397 Invalid/Expired, 66 Temporarily Suspended RPSL holders as of this update).

How to Use This Page

Use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on Mac) to search a company name or RPSL number in any of the three tables below. Each table lists the company name, RPSL license number, issuing office, city, state, and license expiry date, exactly as published by DG Shipping. If a company appears in the Invalid or Suspended table, do not proceed with a job offer from them until you verify their status has changed on the official DG Shipping portal.

Valid DG Shipping RPSL Companies List in India 2026 (525 Companies)

Invalid / Expired RPSL Companies List (397 Companies)

These companies’ RPSL licenses have lapsed, were not renewed, or were never properly issued. Recruitment through any agency below is not authorized by DG Shipping.

Temporarily Suspended RPSL Companies List (66 Companies)

DG Shipping has put these licenses on hold, usually pending an inquiry into a complaint or compliance issue. Suspended agencies cannot recruit until the suspension is lifted.

What is RPSL?

RPSL stands for Recruitment and Placement Service License, issued by the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), Government of India, under the Merchant Shipping Act. Any company that recruits and places Indian seafarers on ships — Indian or foreign-flagged — is legally required to hold a valid RPSL. The license certifies that the agency meets DG Shipping’s standards for fair recruitment, contracts, wages, and seafarer welfare, in line with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006).

If a manning agent or shipping company is not on the valid RPSL list, they are not authorized to recruit seafarers for sea service, and any placement through them carries real risk — from unpaid wages to unsafe working conditions with no legal recourse.

Valid, Invalid, and Suspended RPSL — What They Mean

DG Shipping classifies RPSL holders into three categories on its official register:

• Valid / Approved: The company holds an active RPSL and is currently authorized to recruit and place seafarers.
• Invalid / Expired: The company’s license has lapsed, was not renewed, or was never properly issued. Recruitment through such an agency is not authorized.
• Temporarily Suspended: DG Shipping has put the license on hold, usually pending an inquiry into a complaint or compliance issue. Suspended agencies cannot recruit until the suspension is lifted.

You can check all three categories directly on the official DGMA RPSL page, which is the authoritative, real-time source.

How to Verify an RPSL Shipping Company

1. Ask the agency for their RPSL number — a genuine company will share this without hesitation.
2. Search the company name or RPSL number in the tables above, or directly on the official DG Shipping RPSL portal.
3. Confirm the license status is “Approved” / “Valid” — not expired or suspended.
4. Check that the company’s registered address and contact details on the DG Shipping record match what the agency has given you.
5. Insist on a written employment agreement (SEA – Seafarer’s Employment Agreement) before travelling anywhere for onboarding.

Warning Signs of a Fake Recruitment Agent

• Demanding money upfront for “registration,” “visa processing,” or “guaranteed placement” — legitimate RPSL agencies do not charge seafarers recruitment fees.
• Refusing to share their RPSL number or giving one that doesn’t match on the official DG Shipping list.
• No physical office address, or an address that doesn’t match DG Shipping records.
• Pressuring you to join immediately without a proper SEA (Seafarer’s Employment Agreement).
• Communicating only via personal WhatsApp/phone numbers with no official company email or landline.
• Offers that sound too good to be true — unusually high salaries for the rank/vessel type with vague job details.