India has launched its first-ever national container carrier, Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL) – a milestone move to strengthen domestic shipping capacity and reduce reliance on foreign operators. The announcement came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Global Maritime CEO Forum at India Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai.
Modi hailed BCSL as the symbol of a “new era of maritime confidence,” emphasizing the government’s drive to make India a self-reliant maritime power.
BCSL will start operations with 51 container vessels, backed by a $6.9 billion investment under a public–private partnership model supported by the Maritime Development Fund. The new line will initially serve routes across Asia, West Asia, and the Red Sea, with plans to expand to international trades in the coming years.
The creation of BCSL aligns with India’s long-term goal to handle a larger share of its own containerised exports and imports, a market currently dominated by foreign lines.
At the same event, Modi unveiled orders for 437 new ships worth $26 billion, including 60 offshore and energy vessels, 100 eco-friendly tugs under the Green Tug Programme, and 11 dredgers for the Dredging Corporation of India – all part of the government’s Maritime India Vision 2047 strategy.
Modi also confirmed that the Shipping Corporation of India aims to grow its fleet to 216 vessels by 2047, reinforcing India’s ambitions for maritime self-sufficiency and fleet renewal.
