With thaw in India-China ties, TCI orders two cargo ships from Chinese shipyards
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As India-China ties thaw, logistics and supply chain management company Transport Corporation of India has zeroed in on buying two cargo ships from China for $38 million ( ₹320 crore) to bolster its operations, especially along the domestic coastline. The company ordered two new cellular container vessels, which are typically designed for transporting containers, of about 7,300 deadweight tonnes (DWT) each from Chinese shipyards.
The ships are expected to be delivered in two years. TCI plans to use them to carry cargo along ports spanning the east and west coasts of India. “We have placed orders for two ships with Chinese shipyards that are expected to be delivered to us in 2026.
This will help us tap the Indian coastal waters that remain highly underutilised with only 6% of the country’s cargo moving through it," said TCI managing director Vineet Agarwal. TCI placed orders for its ships from overseas because of inadequate domestic manufacturing capacities. To strengthen its operations immediately, TCI is also exploring the purchase of a large second-hand cargo vessel.
"We are also on the lookout for a second-hand ship in the marketplace. I am not sure when this capacity addition will happen, but it is something that we are very actively pursuing," he said. India and China firmed up an agreement on patrolling and disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh in a major breakthrough to end an over four-year standoff.
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