Bharat Container Shipping Line MoU signed with ₹15,000 crore joint funding for port capacity expansion

Key facts

• The Union Government signed an MoU on 4 February 2026 to establish the Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).
• The MoU was signed among Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Container Corporation of India (CONCOR), Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOCPA), Chennai Port Authority, and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL).
• A separate tripartite MoU was signed between VOCPA, Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited (IRFC), and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL) to finance the Outer Harbour Project at Tuticorin.
• The agreements provide for joint funding of up to ₹15,000 crore for eligible projects to expand port capacity under the Sagarmala Programme and the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
• The financing framework will use a Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) focusing on debt funding for breakwater construction and allied onshore-offshore facilities.
• The initiatives align with the Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme (CMAS) announced in Union Budget 2026-27 and support the Maritime Amrit Kaal 2047 vision.