* On the occasion of Group Chairman Rodolphe Saadé’s visit to India, the Group signed the final contract with Cochin Shipyard for six LNG-powered vessels
* Exploring partnerships to strengthen India’s container manufacturing, sustainable ship recycling and national container shipping
In the presence of Mr Shantanu Thakur, Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and the CMA CGM Group’s Chairman and CEO Mr Rodolphe Saadé, the Group reinforced its long-term commitment to India during a high-level gathering in New Delhi. The event underscored the Group’s continued partnership with India’s maritime sector and its ambition to support the country’s growing role in global trade and logistics.
Deepening strategic maritime partnerships in India in the presence of the Group’s top leadership
During the visit of its global leadership in India, CMA CGM signed the final Shipbuilding Contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for six state-of-the-art LNG-powered containerships of 1,700-TEU capacity.
In parallel, CMA CGM is deeply committed to human capital development in India. Through CMA SHIPS, the Group has already recruited 1,000 Indian seafarers, with plans to onboard 1,500 seafarers by the end of 2026, further strengthening the Group’s role in the global maritime workforce.
Building on this strategic milestone, the CMA CGM Group is actively exploring opportunities to partner with key stakeholders across India on initiatives designed to strengthen the country’s container manufacturing capabilities, promote sustainable ship recycling and support the development of domestic container shipping.
Driving innovation across the global supply chain
On the occasion of its participation in the Indian AI summit, CMA CGM will develop its innovation presence in India to actively leverage artificial intelligence, digital solutions and advanced analytics to transform the entire supply chain, from maritime operations and port efficiency to logistics optimisation and customer experience.
As part of this commitment, in partnership with Capgemini, CMA CGM has established a dedicated Research & Development (R&D) hub in India, positioning the country as a key global centre for innovation within the Group. The India R&D hub plays a critical role in developing next-generation digital and AI-enabled solutions that support CMA CGM’s worldwide operations This combination of active participation and future developments reflects CMA CGM’s broader vision of being a long-term partner in India’s supply chain and infrastructure growth, blending global shipping expertise and competence in asset building and management, logistics excellence, technological innovation and sustainable practices, emphasised a communique.
Mr Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, said: “I am pleased to be in India to deepen the strategic partnership, which has linked CMA CGM and India for nearly four decades. Today, we are strengthening our shipbuilding cooperation with Cochin Shipyard through the signing of six LNG-powered container vessels. At the same time, we are looking to expand our engagement in container manufacturing and ship recycling. This is fully aligned with Prime Minister Modi’s Maritime Vision 2047 to position India as a major maritime nation. As corridors such as India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) develop, connecting India to the Middle East and Europe, CMA CGM stands ready to contribute to this new phase of global trade.”
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