JNPA proudly welcomes CMA CGM Vitoria, CMA CGM’s first Indian-flagged vessel at Nhava Sheva Free Port Terminal
MUMBAI : JNPA proudly welcomed CMA CGM’s first Indian-flagged vessel CMA CGM Vitoria at the Nhava Sheva Free Port Terminal. With this, CMA CGM becomes the first major global carrier to sail under the Indian flag. CMA CGM Vitoria serves India on the Group’s BIGEX Network, one of the most comprehensive offers of direct links between India, the Gulf, and the Red Sea. This defining moment witnessed by Hon’ble Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Honourable Minister of State for the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Shantanu Thakur, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri TK Ramchandran, IAS, and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri RK Lakshmanan, IAS and Shri Unmesh Sharad Wagh, IRS, Chairman, JNPA and CMD, VPPL.
With a total capacity of 2592 TEU, CMA CGM Vitoria serves India on the Group’s BIGEX Network, one of the most comprehensive offers of direct links between India, the Gulf, and the Red Sea, performing weekly calls from Nhava Sheva and Mundra.
In addition to its first local flag registration in India, the Group will register three more vessels in the coming months. CMA CGM also becomes the first foreign shipping line to register a containerized vessel in the International Financial Services Centre, GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec) City, in India.
India is a strategic country for the CMA CGM Group, who intends to actively contribute to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) “The recent visit of India’s Honourable Prime Minister to CMA CGM’s headquarters in Marseille underscores the Group’s commitment to further expanding its presence in India across shipping, intermodal transport, logistics, and terminal operations. In particular, CMA CGM has recently opened a crew management office located in Mumbai for its fleet. Through the CMA CGM Foundation, the Group aims to have a positive social impact and has supported the education of approximately 2,350 underprivileged children in Mumbai over the past three years via 10 dedicated learning centers. CMA CGM remains fully committed to supporting India’s economic growth.” – said Mr. Atit Mahajan.
With a 34-year presence in India and a workforce of 17,000 employees, CMA CGM plays a key role in connecting the country to the rest of the world through 19 weekly maritime services. In addition to its shipping operations, the Group is actively developing port infrastructure in India, thanks to strategic investments in terminals located at Nhava Sheva Freeport (NSFT), near Mumbai, and at Mundra Port.
CEVA Logistics, CMA CGM’s logistics subsidiary, operates across 105 sites in 31 Indian cities, managing around 900,000 square meters of warehouse space. The acquisition of Stellar VCS in 2023 further strengthened CEVA Logistics’ role in India’s contract logistics sector, offering global expertise and innovative solutions to enhance operational efficiency.
