Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme: Building India's Maritime Future
The Government of India has announced the Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme (CMAS) with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore over five years to establish a globally competitive domestic container manufacturing ecosystem. The scheme aims to address India's significant dependence on imported containers, as the country currently imports nearly 2 million empty containers annually to meet domestic demand and repositioning requirements, making container availability vulnerable to global market fluctuations and supply-chain disruptions.
The initiative targets increasing annual domestic manufacturing capacity to approximately 7.5 lakh Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), which represents about 10 times the existing container production capacity. This expansion is expected to create a market opportunity of nearly ₹80,000 crore while positioning India as a reliable producer of internationally competitive shipping containers. The scheme provides capital assistance for establishing new Greenfield manufacturing facilities, support for expansion of existing Brownfield units, operational support to improve competitiveness, and funding for testing infrastructure, skilling initiatives, and capacity building.
CMAS is part of a broader maritime transformation strategy that includes the establishment of the Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL) through a collaboration between Shipping Corporation of India, Container Corporation of India, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited. This initiative envisages investments of approximately ₹99,149 crore in fleet development of 51 container vessels and domestic container procurement.
The employment impact is substantial, with CMAS expected to generate around 3,000 direct jobs and more than 50,000 indirect jobs across container manufacturing and allied industries including corner castings, wooden frames, and Corten steel production. The scheme complements other major government initiatives including PM Gati Shakti, National Logistics Policy, Sagarmala Programme, and a ₹70,000 crore Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Package.
Recent milestones demonstrate progress, with India achieving its first India-manufactured EXIM shipping container for global shipping company A.P. Moller–Maersk in July 2026, manufactured in accordance with internationally recognized ISO standards and the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC). Additionally, Maersk placed an order for 1,000 additional Made-in-India shipping containers with DCM Shriram Group, representing early commercial endorsement of India's emerging manufacturing capability.
The broader maritime reforms include legislative updates through the Merchant Shipping Act 2025, Coastal Shipping Act 2025, and Indian Ports Act 2025, along with digital initiatives such as One Nation One Port Process, Maritime Single Window, and e-Samudra. Major infrastructure projects including Vadhavan Port, International Container Transshipment Port at Galathea Bay, Tuna Tekra Container Terminal, and Outer Harbour Container Terminal at V.O. Chidambaranar Port are progressing rapidly, with three Indian ports now ranked among the world's top 30 in the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2025.