CMA CGM has become the first major foreign shipping company to register its vessel in India in a show of confidence to government’s maritime policies.
On Monday the French shipping giant announced that one of its container ship CMA CGM Vitoria will fly under the Indian flag. This vessel which previously flew under the Maltese flag has can carry 2592 twenty feet long containers. It will ply between India, West Asia and the Red Sea.
The flagging ceremony follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to CMA CGM headquarters during his visit to France. CMA CGM is the world’s third largest container shipping company.
“We are working constantly to expand Indian flagged vessels’ fleet to strengthen our position in global trade, build resilience, ensure stability in supply chains and create opportunities for the Indian marine sector,” union minister of ports and shipping Sarbananda Sonowal said on the occasion.
In addition to its first local flag registration in India, the French company will register three more vessels in the coming months, underscoring its commitment to India and its ambition to further develop its presence in the country. CMA CGM has also become the first foreign shipping line to register a containerized vessel in the International Financial Services Centre, Gift City in Gujarat.
CMA CGM said India is a strategic country for the company and it intends to actively contribute to the India Middle East Europe economic corridor.
Published on April 28, 2025