French shipping company CMA CGM Group has signed a letter of intent for six new 1,700 TEU LNG-powered containerships to be built at Cochin Shipyard (CSL) in India.
CMA CGM said the strategic move makes it the first major foreign carrier to commission LNG vessels from an Indian shipyard and all six vessels will be registered under the Indian flag.
The company said the newbuilds are designed to run on LNG and are ready for future “low-carbon” fuels. The project at Cochin Shipyard will also be run with the technical cooperation of the South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The vessels are scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2031.
CMA CGM also said that the group is also reflagging four vessels under the Indian registry in 2025 and aims to recruit 1,000 Indian seafarers by the end of the year, with plans to hire an additional 500 in 2026.
Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, remarked that the company’s decision to order LNG vessels from India reflects the group’s confidence in India’s industrial and technological capabilities and aligns with the country’s goal of strengthening its shipbuilding sector.
