Ø Maersk places order for 1,000 additional
Made-in-India containers, reaffirming confidence in India’s growing maritime manufacturing
ecosystem
Ø We are building more than shipping containers,
we are building a globally competitive maritime manufacturing ecosystem for a Viksit
Bharat: Sarbananda Sonowal
Ø CMPS Policy Targets Tenfold Jump in Annual
Container Manufacturing Capacity upto 7.9 Lakh TEUs
·
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal unveiled India's
first domestically manufactured export-import (EXIM) shipping container at the
Maersk-CONCOR Inland Container Depot in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh.
·
The container was manufactured for A.P. Moller–Maersk,
marking a significant milestone under the Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in
India, and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 initiatives.
·
As a strong endorsement of India's manufacturing capability,
Maersk placed an order for 1,000 additional Made-in-India shipping containers
with DCM Shriram Group.
·
The initiative follows Narendra Modi's 2025 discussions
with Robert Maersk Uggla to promote container manufacturing in India.
·
The containers meet international ISO standards
and the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), making them suitable
for global shipping.
·
The government launched the ₹10,000 crore Container
Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS) to strengthen domestic container manufacturing.
·
CMPS objectives include:
o
Increasing annual container manufacturing capacity tenfold
to about 7.5–7.9 lakh TEUs.
o
Providing capital and operational support for new and existing
manufacturing facilities.
o
Promoting research, testing, technology development, and
skill creation.
o
Reducing dependence on imported containers and strengthening
supply-chain resilience.
·
The initiative aims to create employment, encourage technology
transfer, and establish India as a global export hub for shipping containers.
·
The government highlighted broader maritime reforms, including:
o
Merchant Shipping Act, 2025
o
Coastal Shipping Act, 2025
o
Indian Ports Act, 2025
o
Digital initiatives such as One Nation One Port Process
(ONOP), Maritime Single Window, and e-Samudra.
·
Other major maritime infrastructure projects include:
o
Vadhavan Port
o
Galathea Bay International Container Transshipment Port
o
Tuna Tekra Container Terminal
o
Outer Harbour Container Terminal.
Key Takeaway
The launch of India's first Made-in-India EXIM shipping
container and Maersk's follow-on order signal growing international confidence in
India's maritime manufacturing capabilities. Supported by the CMPS and broader port-sector
reforms, India aims to become a self-reliant and globally competitive hub for container
manufacturing and maritime logistics.
[ABS News Service/04.07.2026]
In a major milestone for India's maritime
and manufacturing sectors, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda
Sonowal, today unveiled the first export-import (EXIM) shipping container manufactured
in India for global shipping major A.P. Moller–Maersk at the Maersk-CONCOR Inland
Container Depot in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh. The milestone reflects the Government of
India's unwavering commitment to transforming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision
of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision
2047 into tangible outcomes.
Marking a strong vote of confidence in India's
emerging container manufacturing ecosystem, Maersk also placed an order for 1,000
additional India-manufactured shipping containers with DCM Shriram Group during
the event. This marks the beginning of a long-term commercial partnership that is
expected to strengthen India's position in the global maritime value chain.
The achievement follows the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's interaction with Robert Maersk Uggla, Chairman of the Supervisory
Board of A.P. Moller–Maersk, in February 2025, during which the Prime Minister encouraged
the company to actively support the development of world-class container manufacturing
in India. Within just sixteen months, that vision has culminated in the successful
rollout of the country's first internationally procured, India-manufactured EXIM
shipping container, demonstrating the Government's ability to translate strategic
intent into timely execution.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister
Sarbananda Sonowal said, ”Under the visionary leadership
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is rapidly emerging
as a trusted global manufacturing and maritime powerhouse. The unveiling of the
first India-manufactured EXIM shipping container for a leading global shipping line
is a defining milestone in our journey towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. It reflects the
growing confidence of global industry in India's manufacturing capabilities and
our commitment to building world-class maritime infrastructure.”
The first India-manufactured container has
been produced in accordance with internationally accepted quality and safety standards,
including ISO specifications and the International Convention for Safe Containers
(CSC), making it suitable for global deployment.
The Union Minister further added, "This
achievement demonstrates how the Government's policy initiatives, industry partnership
and timely execution can create new opportunities for manufacturing, employment,
skill development and global competitiveness. Our Government remains firmly committed
to converting every vision into reality within stipulated timelines while creating
a resilient and self-reliant maritime ecosystem that supports India's rise as a
leading global trading nation."
The development also aligns with the Modi
Government's efforts to promote domestic manufacturing through policy interventions,
including the ₹10,000 crore Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS)
framework announced in the Union Budget 2026 for domestic container manufacturing.
The initiative is expected to reduce India's dependence on imported containers,
strengthen supply chain resilience and create a globally competitive manufacturing
ecosystem. The scheme also aims at Capex support for establishing Greenfield container
manufacturing and expansion of existing brownfield facilities, Opex support to bridge the cost gap per container to improve
competitiveness of domestic manufacturing. It also intends to boost Research &
Development (R&D) support for promotion of research, testing, skilling, and
capacity building.
On government’s initiative to boost capacity,
Sonowal further said, “The CMPS scheme envisages an annual manufacturing capacity
boost by 10 times upto 7.5 lakh TEUs, supported through
capital assistance, operational incentives, research, testing and technology development.
It will create a strong domestic manufacturing ecosystem, generate employment, encourage
technology transfer and significantly strengthen India's supply-chain resilience.
The objective is clear, to make India self-reliant in container manufacturing and
to establish our country as a global export hub for high-quality containers.”
The Government views this milestone as the
beginning of a larger transformation of India's maritime manufacturing landscape.
With increasing participation from global shipping companies, a supportive policy
environment and growing domestic capabilities, India is well-positioned to become
a significant global hub for shipping container manufacturing.
The Modi Government has enacted landmark
legislations, including the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, the Coastal Shipping Act,
2025 and the Indian Ports Act, 2025, while introducing transformative digital initiatives
such as One Nation One Port Process (ONOP), the Maritime Single Window and e-Samudra
to enhance ease of doing business. Backed by a ₹70,000 crore Shipbuilding
Financial Assistance Package and the proposed Bharat Container Shipping Line,
With India emerging as the world's leading
ship recycling nation, three Indian ports now ranked among the global top 30 in
the Container Port Performance Index 2025, and mega infrastructure projects such
as Vadhavan Port, the International Container Transshipment
Port at Galathea Bay, Tuna Tekra Container Terminal and
the Outer Harbour Container Terminal progressing rapidly, the Government remains
committed to building a world-class maritime ecosystem that will drive India's economic
growth and global competitiveness.
The event was attended by Her Excellency
Marisa Gerards, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Gopal Krishna
Aggarwal, National Spokesperson BJP, Thomas Theeuwes,
Managing Director, AP Moller Maersk, Mr Ahmad Hasan, Sr Vice President, Maersk and
other senior officials from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, representatives
of the maritime industry, Maersk, DCM Shriram Group, CONCOR and other stakeholders.