Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is reportedly gearing up for a major newbuilding campaign, with plans to acquire 26 domestically built ships in a move tied to India’s broader push to scale up its national fleet and shipbuilding capacity.
According to sources familiar with the scheme, the project is valued at about $2.3bn and would add 1.18m gt to SCI’s fleet over a phased delivery schedule. If executed, the expansion would boost India’s flagship line beyond its current fleet of roughly 55 vessels, which include tankers, bulkers, boxships, and offshore units.
The move is part of a wider procurement initiative across India’s state-run energy, fertilizer, and steel sectors, with government-backed companies expected to order over 200 ships, and it also aligns with national targets to reduce reliance on foreign-built vessels.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration revealed billion-dollar moves on all things shipping in culding the shipbuilding sector. Under current targets, India aims to have locally built tankers represent 7% of the fleet by 2030, with a longer-term ambition to increase this figure to nearly 70% by 2047 — the year India aspires to achieve developed economy status.
SCI’s anticipated order would be among the largest by a single Indian operator in recent years and would mark a shift in procurement strategy toward Indian yards. Details on ship types have not been officially disclosed, though the orders are expected to support crude, product, and dry cargo shipping.
The fleet push comes alongside other government-led initiatives, including the planned launch of a national container line — Bharat Container Line — to be developed as a public-private venture. Officials have said the new line will aim for a fleet of up to 100 ships, including time-chartered vessels, although no firm timeline has been confirmed.
India has also signed a string of maritime collaboration agreements with global carriers, including MSC, Maersk, and CMA CGM, to strengthen port and logistics infrastructure as it eyes a larger role in global trade flows.
