French container shipping major CMA CGM is set to register a sixth vessel under the Indian flag, CMA CGM Semarang, as it continues to expand its presence in the country’s maritime sector.
The company, led by Rodolphe Saadé, had earlier reflagged four vessels to India in 2025 and recently added a fifth, CMA CGM Vila Do Conde. With the addition of CMA CGM Semarang, the number of CMA CGM ships flying the Indian tricolour will rise to six.
CMA CGM Semarang is a feeder container vessel built in 2007, currently operating under the Maltese flag, with a capacity of about 2,700 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The move to reflag the vessel comes as India enforces stricter age norms for ship registration under the Directorate General of Maritime Administration’s January 21, 2026 notification, which sets a 20-year entry limit for container ships.
The new rules also apply to foreign-flag vessels seeking licenses under the Coastal Shipping Act, 2026 to operate within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Ships exceeding the prescribed age limit will not be eligible for licensing, while those within the limit must comply with specified qualitative parameters.
Industry sources say tightening cabotage regulations are prompting global carriers to register vessels in India. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has withdrawn earlier relaxations that allowed foreign-flag ships to carry certain domestic cargo without a license, although implementation has been temporarily deferred by six months from April 21 due to global uncertainties.
Under India’s cabotage regime, coastal shipping is reserved for Indian-flag vessels, giving them a competitive advantage over foreign ships in domestic trade. This has led other global carriers such as A.P. Moller–Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company, and Hapag-Lloyd to also explore expanding their Indian-flag fleets.
Separately, CMA CGM in February signed a $360 million deal with Cochin Shipyard Limited to build six LNG-powered container ships of 1,700 TEU capacity each, marking a significant boost for domestic shipbuilding.
