NEW DELHI: India is providing safety certification for dozens of ships managed by a subsidiary of the leading Russian shipping group Sovcomflot, according to official data, enabling oil exports to India and other countries after Western certifiers withdrew their services in response to global sanctions against Russia.
Certification by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass), one of the world’s leading classification organizations, is the final link in the paperwork chain required to keep Sovcomflot’s tanker fleet afloat and shipping Russian crude oil overseas.
According to information obtained from the IRClass website, it has certified more than eighty ships managed by SCF Management Services Ltd, a Dubai-based business featured on Sovcomflot’s website.
According to an Indian shipping source with knowledge of the certification procedure, the majority of Sovcomflot’s boats have now converted to IRClass via the Dubai branch.
Classification societies certify that ships are seaworthy and safe, which is necessary for obtaining insurance and port access.
As a result of harsh sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the country’s crude oil industry has been compelled to seek consumers outside of the West while relying on Russian transporters and insurers to handle its exports.
In recent months, India has significantly increased its crude oil purchases from Russia.
