The Marseille-based container shipping line CMA CGM confirmed yesterday the deal with India’s Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) to built six 1,700 TEU dual-fuel LNG containerships. The container line giant signed a letter of intent and said that the new-built LNG-powered boxships will be registered under the Indian flag, underscoring its strong willingness to support the Indian Maritime policy implemented by the authorities under the guidance of prime minister Narendra Modi.   The project at Cochin Shipyard will also be run with the technical cooperation of Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.

With a 34-year presence in the country and a workforce of approximately 17,000 employees, CMA CGM claims that this strategic move makes the group the first major foreign carrier to commission LNG vessels from an Indian shipyard.   The six boxhsips will be delivered from 2029 to 2031, in line with the group’s fleet renewal and energy transition strategy.  Rodolphe Saadé, the groups chief, will reflag four vessels under the Indian registry in 2025 and aims to recruit 1,000 Indian seafarers by the end of the year. In 2026, CMA CGM plans to hire an additional 500 Indian seafarers.

India represents a strategic market for the CMA CGM Group, holding a pivotal position within the group’s global agency network.   Beyond its core shipping operations, the group is actively investing in India’s port infrastructure, with significant strategic stakes in terminals at Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal (NSFT), near Mumbai, and Mundra Port.

The CMA CGM Group also established in India, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the headquarter of its Global Business Services (GBS) organization, operating as a strategic hub supporting a wide array of functions across shipping, logistics, finance, legal, customer care, and transformation. With a workforce of over 9,000 employees, GBS supports 160 agencies across the globe, overseeing 261 processes and 158 departments, delivering over 60% of the group’s main transactional business processes.

CEVA Logistics, CMA CGM’s logistics subsidiary, operates across 105 sites in 31 Indian cities, managing around 900,000 square meters of warehouse space. The acquisition of Stellar VCS in 2023 further strengthened CEVA Logistics’ role in India’s contract logistics sector.

Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and chief executive officer of CMA CGM Group, said: “This milestone reflects the trust we place in India’s industrial and technological capabilities and supports Prime Minister Modi’s ambition to make India a global shipbuilding power. “India is a strategic country for CMA CGM, where we invest, train, and innovate. Beyond shipbuilding, we are strengthening our partnerships in logistics, maritime training, and sustainable transport to support India’s growth and contribute to the decarbonization of global trade.”

From his side, Madhu S Nair, CMD of Cochin Shipyard, expressed gratitude that CSL was chosen to be part of this landmark initiative, adding that this project is also of great significance to CSL as they are collaborating with the largest shipbuilding group HD KSOE as the major partner.