India rolls out first locally made export container; Maersk orders 1,000 more

New Delhi: India on Friday unveiled its first domestically manufactured export-import (exim) shipping container for global shipping major Maersk, marking a step towards building a domestic maritime manufacturing industry.

The container, manufactured by DCM Shriram Group, was handed over to A.P. Moller-Maersk at Container Corp. of India’s (Concor) inland container depot in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh.

Maersk also placed an order for 1,000 more containers, signalling early confidence in the country’s manufacturing capabilities, according to the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways.

The development comes at a time when the Centre seeks to position India as a global hub for container manufacturing under its maritime self-reliance strategy.

India has long depended on imports, particularly from China, for shipping containers used by exporters and logistics companies. Supply disruptions during the covid-19 pandemic had exposed vulnerabilities in the global container supply chain, prompting the government to encourage domestic manufacturing.

The first commercially procured India-made export container has been rolled out 16 months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met A.P. Moller-Maersk chairman Robert Maersk Uggla in February 2025.

The initiative is backed by the ₹10,000-crore container manufacturing promotion scheme (CMPS), announced in the Union Budget for 2026-27, which aims to create a globally competitive container manufacturing ecosystem through a mix of capital support, operating incentives and research and development assistance.

Under the scheme, the government plans to increase India’s annual container manufacturing capacity nearly tenfold to about 7.5 lakh TEUs from current levels, while supporting both greenfield manufacturing units and expansion of existing facilities.

According to union ports, shipping and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the policy is expected to generate employment, facilitate technology transfer and strengthen India’s supply-chain resilience while reducing dependence on imported containers.

The first India-made export container has been manufactured in compliance with international ISO specifications and the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), making it eligible for deployment across global shipping routes.

The initiative forms part of the Centre’s broader strategy to strengthen India’s maritime sector through investments in ports, shipbuilding, ship recycling and logistics infrastructure.

Over the past year, the government has introduced a series of sectoral reforms, including new merchant shipping, coastal shipping and ports legislations, besides digital initiatives such as One Nation One Port Process and the Maritime Single Window to improve ease of doing business.

It has also announced a ₹70,000-crore financial assistance package for shipbuilding and is working on plans to establish a national container shipping line.

The government is simultaneously investing in major port infrastructure, including the Vadhavan Port project in Maharashtra, the Galathea Bay International Container Transshipment Port in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tuna Tekra Container Terminal and the Outer Harbour Container Terminal.

Officials said domestic container manufacturing is expected to become an important pillar of India’s ambitions to emerge as a global maritime hub, alongside its expanding shipbuilding and ship recycling industries.