Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group and Jose VJ CMD, Cochin Shipyard Restricted, signed the ultimate contract in Delhi within the presence of Shantanu Thakur, Union Minister of State of Ports, Delivery and Waterways and Vijay Kumar Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Delivery and Waterways.
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French delivery main CMA CGM has signed the ultimate contract to buy six LNG-powered vessels from Cochin Shipyard Ltd for a complete consideration of $360 million (round ₹3,200 crore). Additionally it is exploring partnerships to strengthen India’s container manufacturing, sustainable ship recycling and nationwide container delivery.
Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group and Jose VJ CMD, Cochin Shipyard Restricted, signed the contract in New Delhi on Wednesday within the presence of Shantanu Thakur, Union Minister of State of Ports, Delivery and Waterways and Vijay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Delivery and Waterways.
First Indian LNG
In October 2025, the delivery main signed a Letter of Intent with CSL to construct six 1,700 TEU dual-fuel LNG-powered container vessels. It thus grew to become the primary main overseas service to fee LNG vessels from an Indian shipyard, and all six vessels shall be registered below the Indian flag. The challenge at Cochin Shipyard can even be run with the technical cooperation of Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, businessline then reported.
The primary vessel shall be delivered in 36 months. After that, two vessels shall be delivered yearly, stated Jose VJ, CMD, CSL.
The French delivery main, in a launch, stated it plans to recruit as much as 1,500 Indian seafarers by the top of 2026.
India R&D hub
As a part of this dedication, in partnership with Capgemini, CMA CGM has established a devoted Analysis & Growth (R&D) hub in India, positioning the nation as a key world centre for innovation inside the Group. The India R&D hub performs a essential position in creating next-generation digital and AI-enabled options that help CMA CGM’s worldwide operations, the discharge stated.
On the event of its participation within the Indian AI summit, CMA CGM will develop its innovation presence in India to actively leverage synthetic intelligence, digital options, and superior analytics to remodel the complete provide chain, from maritime operations and port effectivity to logistics optimisation and buyer expertise.
Maritime Imaginative and prescient 2047
Current in India for 37 years, CMA CGM continues to take a position to strengthen its long-term maritime and logistics partnership with the nation, contributing to financial growth, export and import development, and sustainable worth creation, the discharge stated.
Rodolphe Saadé stated, “At this time, we’re strengthening our shipbuilding cooperation with Cochin Shipyard via the signing of six LNG-powered container vessels. On the identical time, we need to increase our engagement in container manufacturing and ship recycling. That is absolutely aligned with Prime Minister Modi’s Maritime Imaginative and prescient 2047 to place India as a significant maritime nation. As corridors equivalent to India–Center East–Europe Financial Hall (IMEC) develop, connecting India to the Center East and Europe, CMA CGM stands able to contribute to this new section of world commerce.”
International delivery scale
The world’s third largest delivery firm, CMA CGM, serves greater than 420 ports throughout 5 continents with a fleet of over 650 vessels. In 2024, CMA CGM carried over 23 million TEU (twenty-foot equal unit) containers.
Its subsidiary CEVA Logistics, one of many world’s high 5 gamers, operates 1,000 warehouses and dealt with 15 million shipments in 2024. CMA CGM AIR CARGO, the Group’s air freight division, will function a fleet of 6 cargo plane by 2025, says the discharge.
Printed on February 18, 2026
