The commitment by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to register ships under the Indian flag is a landmark move that significantly accelerates India’s efforts to expand its domestic maritime fleet and influence.
MSC’s Commitment and Strategic Context
MSC’s decision, announced by CEO Soren Toft at India Maritime Week 2025, is a direct alignment with India’s national maritime goals.
- Vessels Committed: MSC will deploy 12 container ships under the Indian flag. These vessels are expected to have capacities ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 TEUs.
- Ranking Impact: With this reflagging, MSC is set to become India’s 3rd largest private shipowner, surpassing rivals Maersk and CMA CGM in terms of the number of container vessels recently transferred.
- Corporate View: Toft stated that the move strengthens MSC’s long-term partnership with India, which he called a “key country” with strong growth in shipping, ports, and logistics. The announcement followed his participation in the Global Maritime CEO Roundtable, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India’s Maritime Growth Initiative
The reflagging wave from major global carriers is a direct response to policy initiatives designed to boost India’s domestic shipping sector.
- Policy Drivers: India has enacted new maritime regulations and policy initiatives, including:
- Incentives for shipbuilding.
- Strict cabotage regulations on inter-port container movement (favoring Indian-flagged ships).
- Revised ship age rules (allowing carriers to extend the operating life of vessels if they enter the registry early).
- Reflagging Trend: The trend, which began with CMA CGM and continued with Maersk shows that the containership registry is experiencing tremendous growth.
- Public Sector Expansion: This private-sector commitment complements the efforts of the state-run Shipping Corporation of India, which is also actively expanding its fleet through acquisitions to build a stronger, self-reliant maritime industry.
The moves by the world’s top container carriers signal growing confidence in India’s maritime governance and its emergence as a strategic global shipping hub.
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Source: Marine Insight
