India becomes the new maritime superpower — major shipping companies are changing flag and registering ships in the Indian registry, leveraging local laws and the rise of port activity.
The world’s largest shipping companies are changing flag and choosing India, which is evolving into a new maritime superpower.
There is no longer any doubt that India, being the most populous country in the world, wants to play a leading role in the shipping industry and global trade. After all, the move by some of the world’s largest shipping companies to hoist the Indian flag is something that shows its intentions to all of us.
Three of the world’s largest container shipping companies are transferring their ships to the Indian registry, taking advantage of local cabotage laws and the increasing commercial activity in the country’s ports.
The French CMA CGM was the first major shipping company to hoist the Indian flag on its ships, shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the company’s headquarters in Marseille, where four ships were registered in the Indian registry.
CMA CGM did not stop there; in recent days it announced plans for the construction of container ships on Indian soil.
Maersk followed the example of the French company, with the Equasis shipping database showing that the Maersk Vilnius now flies the Indian flag, while local media report that another ship, the Maersk Vigo, is also in the process of changing flag.
All indications are that Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), the world’s largest container shipping company, will be in the spotlight next week, as it will reveal its plans to change the flag on some of its ships during India Maritime Week.
As commented by Dr. Asha Pillai, head of strategy at Docker Vision — a company specializing in port automation based in Kochi — “Beyond the symbolism, every ship that changes flag adds capacity to India, keeps freight revenues within the country, and creates opportunities for Indian seafarers, ports, and ship management companies. If this dynamic continues, it could reshape India’s position in global shipping — turning political will into tangible capacity growth and strategic maritime presence.”
This strategy does not come out of nowhere. India’s focus on its registry comes alongside the Modi government’s broader maritime ambitions. The Maritime India Vision 2030 aims to modernize ports, expand coastal and inland waterways, and attract investment in the shipbuilding industry, ship repair, and maritime services.
Let’s not forget that India is a country that fuels global shipping with hundreds of thousands of seafarers and not only… After all, all of us who travel see dozens or even hundreds of Indians working as vetting inspectors, loading masters or mooring masters.
The only certainty is that India is the next big thing in global trade and, by extension, in shipping. It will be the new maritime power in the world and this is shown by the moves it has been making in recent years.
