CMA CGM chief signs strategic feeder containership order in India

On the occasion of Rodolphe Saadé’s – the CMA CGM’s chief – visit in India, the Group signed the final contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited for six LNG-powered vessels, as well as the recruitment of up to 1500 Indian seafarers by the end of 2026.

In the presence of minister of state at the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways Shri Shantanu Thakur, and the CMA CGM group’s chairman and chief executive officer Rodolphe Saadé, the Marseille-based container shipping line CMA CGM signed the final shipbuilding contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for six LNG-powered containerships of 1700-teu capacity.

The vessels will be constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi and will be registered under the Indian flag.

Following a series of meetings to finalise vessel specifications, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) executed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with CMA CGM for the design and construction of six feeder container vessels, each with a capacity of 1,700-teu and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Under the LoI, CSL and CMA CGM worked towards finalising techno-commercial terms, leading to the formal