Global Shipping Giant Maersk Taps into India’s Cochin Shipyard For Shipbuilding And Repairs

A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) and Cochin Shipyard Ltd. (CSL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore strategic collaboration in shipbuilding, repair, and maintenance in India.

This partnership aligns with India’s Vision 2047 maritime roadmap and the Union Budget 2025-26’s push to position the country among the world’s top five maritime hubs, Maersk stated.

With the global shipping industry facing capacity constraints in ship repair yards, this collaboration comes at a crucial time. Under the MoU, Maersk will leverage its expertise as an off-taker in its global fleet to strengthen CSL’s capabilities, particularly in container ship maintenance, repair, and dry-docking operations.

The partnership will focus on multiple areas, including sharing technical expertise to meet global maintenance standards, exploring new shipbuilding opportunities, and launching joint training programs to upskill CSL and Maersk employees.

Initially, the collaboration will cover vessels up to 7,000 TEU for afloat repairs and up to 4,000 TEU for dry-docking, with expansion plans in the pipeline. The first Maersk vessel repair at CSL is already scheduled for 2025, marking the beginning of what both companies envision as a long-term alliance.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Union Budget 2025-26 announcement the setting up of a Maritime Development Fund with a corpus of Rs 25,000 crore to secure long-term, low-cost financing for the sector. The fund will see up to 49 per cent government contribution, with the remainder sourced from ports and private players.

Cochin Shipyard Ltd has been offering ship repair services since 1982, specializing in the maintenance and refurbishment of various vessels, including those used in oil exploration.

Among India’s public-sector shipyards, CSL holds the highest ship repair capacity at 125,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage), followed by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. (HSL) at 80,000 DWT and Goa Shipyard Ltd. (GSL) at 4,500 DWT.

This collaboration with Maersk marks a pivotal moment in CSL’s journey as India’s premier ship repairer. By integrating Maersk’s global expertise with CSL’s strong domestic capabilities, the partnership is poised to expand India's footprint in the international ship repair and shipbuilding market.