India's Paradip Port Authority has issued a ₹2.31 crore tender, excluding GST, to place a 15-person caretaker crew aboard the arrested crude tanker MT Unity (IMO 9388792) for 90 days. The government's 40-page procurement document reveals that the 2009-built, 245-meter vessel is stationary at anchorage, has no valid certificates, is undertaking no cargo operations and has no planned voyage. The proposed team includes a master, deck and engineering officers, ratings, an electrician and catering personnel, supported by shore-based technical assistance. The tender follows a disputed ILO/IMO seafarer-abandonment case involving 22 Russian mariners, whose repatriation remained unresolved in the latest substantive ITF update on October 8. Bidding was scheduled to close at 3 p.m. India time on November 3, but no contract award or caretaker deployment has been verified.
ShipUniverse | Government Procurement Investigation
India Needs 15 Qualified Mariners to Keep One Arrested Tanker Safe
Paradip Port Authority is seeking a contractor to maintain MT Unity at anchorage for 90 days, with shore-based emergency support and deployment required within 48 hours.
Estimated contract₹2.31 Cr₹23.1 million before GST; not an awarded price
Onboard team15Specified qualified caretakers
Service period90 daysExtension possible under tender terms
This is the actual personnel structure in the government tender, not an illustrative safe-manning estimate.
1
Caretaker masterCommand / oversight
2
Senior deck officersDeck watch / safety
1
Chief engineerMachinery supervision
2
Second / third engineersEngineering watch
2
Engine-room ratingsMachinery support
1
FitterMechanical upkeep
3
Deck ratingsDeck / anchoring duties
1
Electrical officerPower and electrical systems
2
Catering personnelFood / crew support
Beyond the 15 onboard: the contractor must designate a shore-based marine superintendent or designated person ashore, with technical and emergency support available. Personnel must be medically fit and appropriately qualified with valid tanker endorsements.
The Cost Implied by the Tender
The following are arithmetic equivalents of the government's estimated 90-day contract value, not observed contractor spending or individual crew wages.
₹77 LakhAverage estimated contract value per 30-day month
₹2.57 LakhAverage estimated contract value per day
₹17,111All-inclusive estimated contract amount per onboard person-day
The ₹17,111 figure is not a salary. The contract also covers food, personnel deployment, insurance, overhead, shore support and incidental costs. GST is additional, and final bids could differ from the estimate.
What the Government Says About the Tanker
Built2009
Length overall245 m
Gross tonnage62,863 GT
Declared statusNo valid certificates
Tender scope: stationary at anchorage, no routine trading, no cargo operations and no voyage planned. Maintaining the ship does not include returning it to seaworthy commercial service.
Source: Paradip Port Authority, Marine Department, tender MD/SPG/I-08/2026 (Pt.)/1379, Section III and the price schedule. The procurement is an invitation for bids, not proof that the caretaker crew has joined the ship.
ShipUniverse | Documentary Evidence Board
One Stranded Tanker. Multiple Claimants. A Court-Directed Crew Change.
The evidence trail runs from a March abandonment record in China through multiple Indian admiralty cases and an October court order, to November's urgent caretaker procurement.
Record / Party
Established Information
Money or Operational Exposure
Legal / Commercial Status
What Cannot Yet Be Concluded
Paradip Port Authority New caretaker tender
₹2.31 crore before GST, 90 days, 15 onboard caretakers and shore technical support. Contractor must hold an Indian DG Shipping RPSL license.
₹23.1 million estimated base value, plus applicable GST; ₹4.62 lakh bid security.
Procurement issued
Scheduled November 3 technical-bid opening.
No winner, final bid price, deployment date or resulting crew repatriation has been established.
Orissa High Court October 6 ruling
Authorities directed to arrange disembarkation and repatriation with replacement crew under the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025.
Replacement and repatriation expenditures may be recovered from the shipowner or agents as a maritime claim.
Court direction
Preferred compliance within three weeks of receiving the judgment.
The new procurement does not prove the original crew has left or that the order has been fulfilled.
ILO/IMO Abandonment Database Case 01653
First reported March 2026 at Zhoushan. Record initially specifies 22 Russian seafarers, with the case classified as disputed.
$200,400 in wages initially recorded; later entries describe different outstanding amounts and subsequent payments.
Disputed record
ITF's October 8 entry says wages received through July, repatriation pending.
$200,400 is not a verified current balance. The initial count and nationality information should not be treated as a live crew manifest.
Master's Court Petition
Master sought repatriation for himself and the other crew, citing expired agreements, hardship, insufficient supplies and machinery deficiencies.
Petition alleges substantial welfare and equipment-preservation concerns; the court found statutory abandonment.
Judicial findings
The court cited vessel safety and crew rights.
Earlier allegations of machinery blackouts do not establish the ship's precise equipment status today.
Soglasie Insurance Co. Admiralty Case 5/2026
Insurer claimed reimbursements for provisions, crew wages and related disbursements, in an August court proceeding.
₹3.02 crore approximately, claimed by plaintiff.
Litigated claim
Admiralty arrest order issued August 19.
A claim is not an adjudicated payable or proven current balance. It should not be automatically added to the tender to estimate confirmed losses.
Tresta International FZE Admiralty Case 1/2026
Supplier sought payment for bunker fuel reportedly supplied in January 2026; court ordered an initial arrest on May 11.
Claim included a stated principal of US$369,750 plus claimed interest and costs.
Historical claim
October judgment records that the first suit was subsequently settled between parties.
The original claimed amount should not be reported as still unpaid.
Vessel & Cargo Status
Court records say the crude consignment was discharged through offshore facilities before MT Unity shifted to anchorage. New tender confirms no current cargo operations.
Possible ongoing costs for watches, pumps, emergency power, pollution controls and mooring equipment.
Safety preservation
No valid certificates are declared in the tender.
The remaining tank contents, slops, bunker quantities and actual present pollution condition have not been independently established.
Evidence types matter: a tender estimate, an insurer's claim, the ILO/IMO case history and a court judgment are different kinds of records. Monetary amounts above are not necessarily additive or presently outstanding.
Eight Dates Behind the Caretaker Tender
The tender is the newest development in an eight-month international case.
March 1Abandonment dateILO/IMO case recorded at Zhoushan, China.
May 11Paradip arrestFirst court arrest in India; tanker subsequently shifted to anchorage.
July 16–20Welfare appealsMaster, Russian consulate and IMO correspondence describe a prolonged seafarer crisis.
August 19Insurer claimSoglasie pursues about ₹3.02 crore in alleged vessel-related disbursements.
October 6Repatriation orderedCourt directs authorities to arrange crew replacement and repatriation.
October 8ITF updateWages through July reported paid; crew repatriation still pending.
October 30–31Tender issuedPort's tender notice dated October 30; central portal records October 31 publication.
November 3Bid deadline3 p.m. IST scheduled closing and technical opening; award not established.
The Four Unanswered Questions
01 | Crew reliefHave the original seafarers left?
The October 8 ITF entry still records repatriation as pending. The new tender is not evidence of completed repatriation.
02 | Onboard conditionWhat remains in the tanks?
The main cargo was reportedly discharged, but residual cargo, slops, bunker quantities and current pollution safeguards remain unconfirmed.
03 | Financial responsibilityWho ultimately bears the cost?
The court describes recoverability from owners or agents. It does not establish that the government has recovered funds.
04 | Final dispositionHow long must care continue?
The planned 90-day contract can be extended. No confirmed release, sale, repair, towing or recycling timetable has been disclosed.
Legal boundary: The Orissa High Court's finding under Indian law and the ILO/IMO database's disputed case status are separate records. The documentary material supports the need for replacement crew, but not any claim that an award or handover has been completed.
What Does It Cost to Keep an Arrested Oil Tanker Safe?
Build a 90-day caretaker budget, test an extended legal delay and estimate the portion of the outlay that might remain unrecovered. Compare your scenario with Paradip's published ₹2.31 crore tender estimate.
Scenario
Contract Assumptions
Official reference: ₹23,100,000 excluding GST; 15 onboard caretakers for 90 days, with shore support. All individual costs below are hypothetical.
Crew & Assignment
Illustrative average covering senior officers and ratings; not Paradip's actual pay scale.
Shore Support & Mobilization
One-time combined allowance; not repeated when extending the same assignment.
Possible Expense Recovery
A scenario assumption, not a legal assessment or a prediction of recovery from the vessel or owner.
Modeled Caretaking Budget
Estimated service cost before GST₹2.31 Cr
Combined modeled personnel, food, insurance, technical support, mobilization and incidentals.
Cost Including Assumed GST₹2.72 Cr
Illustrative gross invoice exposure at the selected GST rate.
Average Daily Service Cost₹2.56 L
Before GST, including allocated one-time expenses.
Average 30-Day Cost₹76.85 L
Duration-normalized cost before GST.
For durations other than 90 days, comparison uses a simple pro-rata extension of the official tender estimate, not a contractual renewal quote.
What If the Vessel Remains Arrested Longer?
Hold staffing and unit costs fixed. The graph shows how caretaker expense increases over alternative service periods. One-time mobilization costs are charged only once in each scenario.
Duration
Crew-Days
Service Before GST
Assumed GST
Total With GST
Vessel Handover & Preservation Checks
A user-maintained preparation list based on the tender's scope. Marking these boxes only records your own verification. It does not establish the actual condition of MT Unity, prove a system is operational or certify the vessel as safe.
0 of 6 checks marked verified
Model boundaries: Only the official 15-person team, 90-day period and ₹2.31 crore estimated tender value are established inputs. Individual pay rates, food costs, insurance, shore costs, contingency, GST percentage and future recovery are illustrative. The GST treatment must be confirmed under applicable tax rules. The model excludes past crew arrears, past insurer claims, port dues, environmental remediation, cargo liability, vessel sale proceeds, court costs and exceptional emergencies. Recovery may be delayed, partial or unsuccessful. Nothing in this model establishes that Paradip has awarded the contract or repatriated the existing crew.
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