Union Minister Sonowal unveils Maersk’s first Indian manufactured shipping container

A.P. Moller – Maersk, the world's leading integrated shipping and logistics company, today achieved a historic milestone in India's maritime sector by becoming the first international shipping line to procure an export-import (EXIM) shipping container manufactured in India. The inaugural unit was unveiled at the Maersk and Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) joint-venture Inland Container Depot at Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, in the presence of the Honourable Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal.

This milestone is the culmination of a 16-month journey that began in February 2025, when Maersk's Chairman of Supervisory Board, Robert Maersk Uggla, met India’s Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, during which the Prime Minister urged Maersk to actively support the development of world-class shipping container manufacturing in India.

Ahmed Hassan, Senior Vice President, A.P. Moller – Maersk, said, "I am really proud of what we have achieved, from a shared vision through execution to the unveiling of the container today. We have shared our global standards, deployed the best technical minds, and collaborated with Indian manufacturers and the Ministry to make this happen.” He added, “It is proof that India's manufacturing ecosystem is getting ready for global demand. With the right investments in production facilities and a supporting ecosystem, we are confident the industry will get there."

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said, "India has long been a nation of traders and seafarers. Today, we take a proud step forward as a manufacturer of containers, with international shipping lines procuring them from our country.” He added, “The first made-in-India Maersk container is a testament to what is possible when global companies believe in India's potential. This is Atmanirbhar Bharat in action, and I am delighted that Maersk has chosen to lead from the front."

Maersk's shipping container quality assurance standards are among the most stringent in the global shipping industry. Every container in the Maersk fleet must comply with ISO structural and dimensional specifications, the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), and Maersk's elevated quality requirements.  Structural prototype testing in accordance with ISO 1496, including stacking, lifting, racking, floor strength tests, and weatherproofing validation, is conducted under the oversight of a classification society and witnessed by Maersk representatives. The first India-manufactured container has passed all these tests, earning full CSC safety approval.

As India's container manufacturing ecosystem matures and production capacity grows, Maersk intends to deepen its engagement within container manufacturing across the country