₹10,000 crore container manufacturing scheme unveiled in Budget

The Union Budget has placed strong emphasis on strengthening India’s logistics and manufacturing backbone with the announcement of a ₹10,000 crore container manufacturing scheme. The initiative, proposed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, is designed to be implemented over five years and aims to create a globally competitive container manufacturing ecosystem within the country.

The scheme comes at a time when containerised cargo accounts for nearly two-thirds of the value of global trade. Despite strong growth in cargo movement, India remains heavily dependent on imported containers, exposing the supply chain to global disruptions. The new scheme seeks to address this gap by promoting domestic manufacturing capacity and improving supply chain resilience.

According to official estimates, the proposed Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme targets the creation of an annual domestic manufacturing capacity of one million TEUs over the next ten years. The programme is expected to generate a total market value of around ₹80,000 crore, translating into an eight-times leverage over the government’s planned support. In addition, the scheme is projected to create about 3,000 direct jobs and nearly 50,000 indirect employment opportunities across allied sectors.

The Budget announcement also aligns with the government’s broader logistics push, which includes expanding inland waterways, promoting coastal shipping and encouraging a modal shift away from road and rail transport. Measures such as the proposed Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme and the operationalisation of new National Waterways are expected to complement the container manufacturing initiative by boosting cargo movement efficiency.

Industry interest in the scheme has already emerged, with several large domestic and global logistics and shipping players expressing willingness to participate. By supporting greenfield manufacturing projects, the government aims to build a sustainable and technologically advanced production base capable of meeting future trade demands.

Beyond manufacturing, the scheme is expected to reduce logistics costs, strengthen export competitiveness and support India’s long-term vision of becoming a global manufacturing and trade hub. As infrastructure spending and trade volumes rise, the container manufacturing push is set to play a critical role in shaping India’s logistics and shipping landscape.