Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 4: Danish shipping major AP Moller-Maersk has placed an order for 1,000 export-import (Exim)-grade containers with DCM Containers, marking the first such procurement by a global shipping carrier from an Indian container manufacturer.
The announcement was made by senior Maersk executives during the unveiling of the container manufactured by DCM Containers, headed by Rudra Shriram. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal unveiled the container at an event in New Delhi.
According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the container has been manufactured in compliance with internationally accepted quality and safety standards, including ISO specifications and the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), making it suitable for global deployment.
Although the order represents only a small portion of Maersk's annual requirement, company officials described it as an important step towards expanding sourcing from India.
Amdi Krogh, Global Head of Ocean Assets Partnership at Maersk, said the company requires around 400,000 to 500,000 containers every year.
Other Maersk executives said the order marked the beginning of a broader engagement with India and that the company would explore additional opportunities in the country's maritime and logistics sectors.
China currently dominates global container manufacturing, while India is seeking to establish itself as a competitive producer. However, industry officials noted that limited manufacturing scale has resulted in higher production costs for Indian companies.
The development follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Robert Maersk Uggla, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AP Moller-Maersk, in February 2025, during which the Prime Minister encouraged the company to support the growth of world-class container manufacturing in India.
Maersk has announced investment plans worth USD 6.5 billion in India, including a USD 2 billion expansion of its wholly owned Pipavav Port in Gujarat.
The Indian government has also proposed a Rs 10,000 crore incentive scheme to support domestic container manufacturing until the sector achieves sufficient scale to compete globally.
Officials noted that Maersk's order was placed even before the subsidy scheme was rolled out. However, company executives said sustained growth in domestic container manufacturing would require timely implementation of the proposed government support programme.
A senior DCM Containers executive said the order is expected to be completed within two months.