India unveils first locally manufactured EXIM shipping container

Maersk places order for 1,000 more India-made containers.

India has unveiled its first domestically manufactured export-import (EXIM) shipping container built for global shipping company A.P. Moller–Maersk, marking the country's entry into international container manufacturing.

The container was unveiled by Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the Maersk-CONCOR Inland Container Depot in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh.

Maersk also placed an order for 1,000 additional India-made shipping containers with DCM Shriram Group, marking the beginning of a commercial partnership to expand domestic container manufacturing.

The container has been manufactured in compliance with international standards, including ISO specifications and the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), making it suitable for global shipping.

The project follows discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and A.P. Moller–Maersk Supervisory Board Chairman Robert Maersk Uggla in February 2025 on developing container manufacturing in India.

The government said the development supports its efforts to expand domestic manufacturing under the ₹10,000 crore Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS), announced in the Union Budget 2026.

The scheme aims to increase annual container manufacturing capacity to 7.5 lakh twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) through financial support for new and existing manufacturing facilities, research and development, and technology upgrades.

Sonowal said the initiative is expected to strengthen India's supply chain, generate employment, and position the country as a global manufacturing hub for shipping containers.

The event was attended by Netherlands Ambassador Marisa Gerards, AP Moller–Maersk Managing Director Thomas Theeuwes, Senior Vice President Ahmad Hasan, representatives of DCM Shriram Group and CONCOR, and officials from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.