India has achieved a historic breakthrough in its maritime and manufacturing journey with the unveiling of the country's first export-import (EXIM) shipping container manufactured in India for global shipping leader A.P. Moller–Maersk.

The landmark container was unveiled by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal at the Maersk-CONCOR Inland Container Depot in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, signalling India's growing emergence as a trusted hub for world-class maritime manufacturing.

The achievement reflects the government's ambitious vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, turning strategic policy into real-world success.

Maersk's Big Vote of Confidence

The celebration came with another major announcement. Impressed by India's manufacturing capabilities, Maersk placed an additional order for 1,000 India-made shipping containers with the DCM Shriram Group during the event.

The order marks the beginning of a long-term commercial partnership and sends a strong signal to the global shipping industry that India is ready to become a major player in container manufacturing. It also represents growing international confidence in India's ability to deliver products that meet the highest global standards.

A Vision Realised in Just 16 Months

The milestone traces its origins to February 2025, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Robert Maersk Uggla, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of A.P. Moller–Maersk. During the meeting, the Prime Minister encouraged the global shipping company to support India's container manufacturing ambitions. Remarkably, within just 16 months, that vision has materialised into the rollout of the country's first internationally procured, India-manufactured EXIM shipping container.

Built according to internationally accepted ISO standards and the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), the container is fully certified for global deployment, demonstrating India's ability to compete with the world's leading manufacturers.

Building a Self-Reliant Maritime Ecosystem

Speaking at the event, Sarbananda Sonowal described the achievement as a defining milestone in India's journey towards self-reliance. The launch also aligns with the government's recently announced ₹10,000 crore Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS) introduced in the Union Budget 2026.

The scheme aims to significantly reduce India's dependence on imported containers while encouraging domestic production through capital support, operational incentives, research, testing, technology development and skill-building.

The government has introduced landmark legislations, including the Merchant Shipping Act 2025, Coastal Shipping Act 2025 and Indian Ports Act 2025, alongside digital initiatives like One Nation One Port Process (ONOP), Maritime Single Window, and e-Samudra to improve ease of doing business.

Major infrastructure projects such as Vadhavan Port, Galathea Bay International Container Transshipment Port, Tuna Tekra Container Terminal, and the Outer Harbour Container Terminal are also progressing rapidly.

With global companies investing, world-class infrastructure taking shape and ambitious policy support driving innovation, India is steadily positioning itself as a future global leader in maritime manufacturing and international trade.