CMA CGM Vitoria Becomes First Foreign-Owned Containership To Fly Indian Flag

CMA CGM has officially welcomed its first Indian-flagged container ship, CMA CGM Vitoria, at the Nhava Sheva Free Port Terminal on April 28, 2025.

It has become the first major foreign shipping company to register a containership under the Indian flag.

The ceremony was held in the presence of Shri Shantanu Thakur, Honourable Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Atit Mahajan, General Manager of CMA CGM India, hosted the event, which was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Directorate General of Shipping, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), foreign diplomats, business partners, and CMA CGM employees.

The vessel has a total capacity of 2,592 TEU. It will operate on the company’s BIGEX Network, which provides direct weekly connections between India, the Gulf region, and the Red Sea.

The ship will make regular calls at Nhava Sheva and Mundra ports.

CMA CGM Vitoria was acquired by the CMA CGM Group in 2022, built in 2008 and previously registered under the Maltese flag.

As part of its entry into the Indian registry, the vessel will be fully crewed by Indian nationals and classified under the Indian Registry of Shipping.

The registration was facilitated by India’s Directorate General of Shipping, which supported CMA CGM in the process.

This makes CMA CGM the first foreign shipping line to register a containerised vessel within India’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City.

The company plans to transfer three more vessels to the Indian flag in the coming months. The second ship, CMA CGM Manaus, with the same 2,592 TEU capacity and built in 2009, is expected to follow soon.

Sources reported that CMA CGM is “testing the waters” with these registrations.

This initiative follows a high-level meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CMA CGM officials during his visit to the company’s headquarters in Marseille earlier this year.

During this visit, the Group had expressed interest in registering ships in India and exploring opportunities in Indian shipbuilding and repair services.

Currently, India’s Shipping Corporation is the only domestic operator of Indian-flagged containerships, owning three small boxships and a fourth on charter.

Foreign companies such as BW LPG and Mitsui OSK Lines have also flagged several gas and oil tankers in India, but CMA CGM is the first major player to flag a container vessel.

CMA CGM’s India operations span 34 years, with a workforce of around 17,000 people.

The Group runs 19 weekly maritime services connecting India to international trade routes. It is also investing in infrastructure at key Indian ports, including Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal near Mumbai and Mundra Port.

The company recently opened a crew management office in Mumbai and has set up an Indian subsidiary to support its growing fleet operations in the country.

On the logistics front, CEVA Logistics, the group’s logistics arm, runs operations across 105 sites in 31 Indian cities, managing nearly 900,000 square meters of warehouse space.

The acquisition of Stellar Value Chain Solutions in 2023 has further strengthened CEVA’s capabilities in contract logistics, bringing global expertise to enhance operational performance in India.

CMA CGM has also shown interest in supporting the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project and aims to use its logistics and maritime strength to contribute to the corridor’s growth.

References: thehindubusinessline, portnews

Source: Maritime Shipping News