India's Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the $1.05 billion (100 billion rupee) Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme on October 28 to expand domestic shipping container output roughly tenfold to 750,000 TEUs annually. About $935 million goes to operational expenditure assistance for containers built to global standards, $90 million funds a 3% interest subsidy on term loans, and $16 million supports shared testing and certification facilities. The government estimates 3,000 direct and over 50,000 indirect jobs, with spillovers into specialized steel, corner castings, wooden frames and paints.
According to marinelink.com, India has approved a $1.05 billion scheme to expand domestic shipping container manufacturing roughly tenfold to 750,000 TEUs annually, part of a push to cut import dependence and reinforce maritime supply chains.
The Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS) was cleared by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 28. The program supports construction of new plants and expansion of existing production units, and was first announced in the 2026–27 Union Budget.
Officials intend the scheme to build an internationally competitive container industry and position India as a potential global export hub for container manufacturing, according to the source.
Where the $1.05 billion goes
The largest slice of the scheme — about $935 million (88.91 billion rupees) — is operational expenditure assistance for containers built to global shipping standards and sold by eligible manufacturers.
A second allocation of roughly $90 million (8.59 billion rupees) covers interest subvention, delivering a 3% annual interest subsidy on eligible term loans for new facilities and capacity expansion.
The remaining approximately $16 million (1.5 billion rupees) is earmarked for shared testing and certification facilities, including dynamic longitudinal impact testing, the source states.
Jobs and upstream industries
The government estimates the program could generate 3,000 direct jobs and more than 50,000 indirect jobs, according to the report.
The scheme is also expected to support related industries such as specialized steel, corner castings, wooden frames and paints, extending the impact beyond container assembly lines.
The 100 billion rupee outlay is designed to lift capacity to 750,000 TEUs a year, a scale the government says would reduce reliance on imported boxes and strengthen the country’s maritime supply chains.
Source: marinelink.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
