By Julie Gedeon
The CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air, and logistics solutions, today announced it has signed a letter of intent for six state-of-the-art LNG-powered containerships to be built at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), India. This strategic move makes 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.
The newbuilds, each with a capacity of 1,700 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), demonstrate CMA CGM’s commitment to a more sustainable shipping as 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.
This initiative underscores CMA CGM’s strong commitment to India’s maritime vision and strategic national priorities, including Make in India1 and Atmanirbhar Bharat2. The Group is actively investing across the Indian maritime value chain, spanning strategic terminals, maritime services, and shipbuilding, while also reflagging vessels under the Indian registry. At the same time, it is enhancing local maritime employment through expanded crewing and manning operations in India. 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 partnership between CMA CGM and Cochin Shipyard underscores a mutual dedication to innovation, sustainability, and global maritime excellence. Vessels will be delivered from 2029 to 2031, in line with the Group’s fleet renewal and energy transition strategy.
India represents a strategic market for the CMA CGM Group, holding a pivotal position within the Group’s global agency network. With a 34-year presence in the country and a workforce of approximately 17,000 employees, CMA CGM plays an essential role in connecting India to global markets through 19 weekly maritime services.
(Photo from CMA CGM)