India moves toward its own Bharat Container Shipping Line as Ports, SCI & CONCOR align
NEW DELHI : India is preparing to take a major leap toward maritime self-reliance with the planned launch of the Bharat Container Shipping Line, a new national carrier that will be jointly promoted by Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI) and Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR). The two PSUs are set to anchor the initiative with a majority stake, while key state-owned ports — including Chennai Port Authority, Kamarajar Port Ltd, and possibly VOC Port Authority — are poised to join as minority equity partners, according to people familiar with the developments.
The move is part of a broader effort to build an integrated, India-backed container shipping ecosystem that connects port operations, rail logistics, and ocean transport under a unified framework.
Government officials indicate that inter-ministerial consultations between the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and the Ministry of Railways are in their final phase.
“Within the next two weeks, the equity structure will be firmed up and an MoU will be signed. A detailed business plan will be developed thereafter,” a senior official confirmed.
SCI and CONCOR: Complementary Strengths
Under the proposed arrangement:
SCI will take the lead on chartering ships and running the new container service.
CONCOR will leverage its extensive logistics backbone — including 66 terminals, 410 owned container trains, more than 56,000 ISO containers, and 4 million sq ft of warehousing capacity.
CONCOR’s established presence in major container terminals—holding 26% in GTIPL at JNPA and 15% in IGTPL at Cochin—is expected to provide additional operational heft. The rail logistics major has also widened its maritime engagements with MoUs linked to ports at Bhavnagar and Vadhvan.
CONCOR’s Expanding Maritime Push
The rail PSU has already made noticeable strides in international shipping by deploying its own containers on Middle East routes with strong two-way utilisation.
“We are getting robust load factors and margins of over 30% per container,” CONCOR CMD Sanjay Swarup said in the company’s Q2 earnings call, adding that services to the Far East are under active consideration.
Reducing Reliance on Global Carriers
At present, nearly 99% of India’s EXIM container cargo is transported by foreign shipping lines such as MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and others. SCI—the only Indian player operating mainline container ships—owns a small fleet of three vessels.
Exporters have long argued that India needs a strong domestic carrier to bring greater stability, competitive pricing, and strategic autonomy to its trade supply chain.
The creation of the Bharat Container Shipping Line, supported by SCI, CONCOR, and major government-owned ports, is being seen as a decisive step toward that goal — laying the foundation for a more resilient, India-led maritime logistics network.