Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced a major push to strengthen India’s maritime and inland transport sectors in the Union Budget 2026. The government has earmarked ₹10,000 crore for domestic container manufacturing, alongside initiatives to expand inland waterways, coastal shipping, and maritime infrastructure.
Sitharaman said the government plans to operationalise 20 new waterways over the next five years and establish ship-repair hubs in Varanasi and Patna. A new coastal cargo promotion scheme aims to raise the share of coastal shipping and inland waterways in the country’s freight mix to 12% by 2047.
Currently, India produces around 30,000 containers annually, while China dominates global production with a capacity of 5 million containers per year. The government plans to bridge the cost gap between domestic and international containers through support on input costs and output-linked incentives, a move seen as critical for the upcoming Bharat Container Shipping Line.
In a push to enhance connectivity and tourism, Sitharaman also announced a scheme to promote domestic production of seaplanes, aimed at improving last-mile and remote transport.
Industry experts said these measures align with India’s export-led growth ambitions under the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision, ensuring a larger, more reliable domestic supply of containers to meet rising freight and shipping demands.
The Bharat Container Shipping Line, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October, will begin operations with a fleet of 51 vessels and is expected to rely on a growing domestic container base.
