CMA CGM Group and Cochin Shipyard have finalized a contract to build six feeder containerships in India, a deal positioned as the country’s first containership construction program for an international shipping company. Each vessel will have a capacity of 1,700 TEU and will be LNG-powered, with the first delivery scheduled for February 2029 and a plan to deliver two ships per year thereafter. The vessels are expected to be registered in India.
Press Trust of India reported the order is valued at $360 million and said the ships will be designed by Korea Maritime Consultants. The vessels will be built at Cochin Shipyard’s facility in Kerala. PTI also reported that, following this contract, Cochin Shipyard’s orderbook stands at $2.5 billion.
The shipbuilding contract follows a letter of intent signed in October 2025. The companies said they spent the ensuing months completing technical specifications, while also waiting for the Indian government to complete its Shipbuilding Financial Assistance scheme, which was issued in December by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. Under the scheme, Cochin Shipyard is set to receive financial support tied to specialized shipbuilding and capacity expansion.
CMA CGM framed the order within a wider India strategy. The group said it re-registered four vessels to India in 2025, has recruited 1,000 Indian seafarers, and plans to onboard 1,500 by the end of 2026. Separately, CMA CGM said it will establish a dedicated R&D hub in India with Capgemini, focused on digital and AI-enabled solutions supporting its global operations.
CEO Rodolphe Saade told Indian media the agreement followed what he described as a “very interesting proposal” from Cochin Shipyard, adding it would provide an alternative to building ships in China and Korea. He also said the group is looking to expand engagement in India in container manufacturing and ship recycling, while promoting domestic container shipping.
The contract was signed during a state visit led by French President Emmanuel Macron, his fourth trip to India since 2017, including talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and participation in a two-day AI-focused conference in New Delhi. The two leaders also hosted an India–France Innovation Forum and marked 2026 as the India–France Year of Innovation, with Modi saying, “We are transforming our partnership into a partnership between peoples!”
India has stated an ambition to become a top-10 world-class shipbuilder, and the source text notes Maersk and MSC Mediterranean Shipping are also expanding participation in Indian shipping through 2025 ship registrations and exploration of ship repair and newbuild opportunities.
