On February 18, French shipping giant CMA CGM signed a final shipbuilding contract with India’s Cochin Shipyard to build six 1,700 TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel powered feeder container ships, with deliveries expected between 2029 and 2031. The signing ceremony took place during a visit to New Delhi by CMA CGM executives.
According to previous reports, CMA CGM and Cochin Shipyard signed a letter of intent in October 2025, with the contract value disclosed at the time ranging from US$225 million to US$300 million. Based on this, the cost per vessel would be between US$37.5 million and US$50 million.
These new ships can use liquefied natural gas as fuel or be adapted to low-carbon fuels, which aligns with CMA CGM’s fleet renewal and energy transition strategy.
It is worth noting that when announcing the new ships, CMA CGM also announced that, in addition to the 1,000 Indian crew members already recruited, it plans to recruit another 1,500 Indian crew members by the end of 2026.
CMA CGM emphasized that it is actively seeking collaborations with key stakeholders in India to jointly promote initiatives that enhance the country’s container manufacturing capabilities, facilitate sustainable ship scrapping, and support the development of domestic container shipping. Currently, CMA CGM has partnered with Capgemini to establish a dedicated R&D center in India, focusing on developing next-generation digital and artificial intelligence solutions to support global operations.
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.”