by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

Major ocean carriers, including MSC, Maersk and CMA CGM, are reflagging container ships in India.

Recent reports highlighted that Maersk transferred two short-haul container ships, the Maersk Vilnius (1,810 TEU) and Maersk Vigo (1,740 TEU), to the Indian registry. Both vessels, constructed in 2010, were previously registered in Singapore.

According to the Journal of Commerce, the reflagged vessels are integrated into the company’s regional Asian trade networks. This development follows the establishment of a shipbuilding and repair partnership between Maersk and India's Cochin Shipyard, initiated in early 2025.

Further developments include an announcement by MSC's CEO Søren Toft that the world’s largest container shipping company will register twelve ships under the Indian flag.

In a LinkedIn post, Toft writes, ”India is a key country for MSC, with continued strong development across shipping, ports and logistics.”

CMA CGM has also increased its presence in India, having already reflagged four container ships to the Indian registry.

The French shipping line has formalised a contract with Cochin Shipyard for the construction of six feeder vessels, scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2031.

In a separate agreement, CMA CGM has committed approximately USD 350 million to a newbuild programme with the same shipyard for six 1,700-TEU dual-fuel vessels powered by liquefied natural gas.

Each vessel is expected to cost around $60 million, with all ships to be flagged in India and delivered between 2029 and 2031.

Meanwhile, CMA CGM’s future fleet expansion will see ten new 24,000-TEU container ships flying the French flag. The addition will bring the total number of the liner's French-flagged vessels to forty.

These ships, ordered from Yangzijiang shipyard in China, are expected to enter service between summer 2026 and 2028, operating on the Asia–Europe route and calling at Le Havre and Dunkirk.