Freight News, Logistics, Sea

CMA-CGM Order Shows India Commitment

[ October 16, 2025   //   Gary Burrows ]

Container shipping giant CMA CGM Group said it has ordered six advanced liquefied natural gas-powered containerships to be built at Cochin Shipyard Ltd. (CSL) India, the country’s leading shipyard, making the group the first major foreign carrier to commission LNG vessels from an Indian shipyard.

All six vessels will be registered under the Indian flag and have a capacity of 1,700 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). They can run on LNG and are ready for low-carbon fuels, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with the group’s ambition to be net zero carbon by 2050.

The project at Cochin Shipyard will also be run with the technical cooperation of Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.

“We are collaborating with the largest shipbuilding group HD KSOE as the major partner, which further reinforces our commitment to bring the best-in-class solutions through partnerships, to serve clients across the globe, said Madhu S. Nair, chairman and managing director at Cochin Shipyard.

Cochin Shipyard is pioneering India’s vision to develop the country into a global maritime hub under the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, and this project reflects such initiatives.

CMA CGM is investing across the Indian maritime value chain, spanning strategic terminals, maritime services and shipbuilding, while also reflagging vessels under the Indian registry. It is enhancing local maritime employment through expanded crewing and manning operations in India.

Beyond its core shipping operations, the group is investing in India’s port infrastructure, with significant strategic stakes in terminals at Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal (NSFT), near Mumbai, and Mundra Port.

India’s Maritime Vision

This initiative underscores CMA CGM’s commitment to India’s maritime vision and strategic national priorities. Indian government initiatives promote manufacturing in India and attract investment by encouraging companies to produce goods locally, and making India more self-reliant by promoting local production, innovation and reduced dependence on imports.

“This milestone reflects the trust we place in India’s industrial and technological capabilities and supports Prime Minister [Shri Narendra] Modi’s ambition to make India a global shipbuilding power,” said Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group. “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.”

CMA CGM 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.

The vessels will be delivered from 2029 to 2031, in line with the group’s fleet renewal and energy transition strategy.

Connections Runs Deep

India holding a pivotal position within the CMA-CGM Group’s global agency network. With a 34-year presence in the country and a workforce of about 17,000 employees, CMA CGM plays an essential role in connecting India to global markets through 19 weekly maritime services.

The CMA CGM Group also established in in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the headquarters of its Global Business Services (GBS) organization, operating as a strategic hub supporting shipping, logistics, finance, legal, customer care, and transformation functions. With a dedicated workforce of more than 9,000 employees, GBS supports 160 agencies across the globe, overseeing 261 processes and 158 departments, delivering more than 60 percent 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, offering global expertise and innovative solutions to enhance operational efficiency.

Tags: CMA-CGM Group, Cochin Shipyard Ltd.