Union Budget 2026 bets ₹10,000 crore on domestic container manufacturing

Union Budget 2026 outlines a ₹10,000 crore scheme to build a globally competitive container manufacturing industry in India, while also supporting domestic production of construction and infrastructur

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced ₹10,000 crore for a new container manufacturing scheme while presenting the Union Budget for the financial year 2026–27 (FY27). The scheme aims to help India build a strong and globally competitive container manufacturing industry.

 

The scheme will also support the manufacturing of construction and infrastructure equipment in the country. This includes advanced machines used to dig tunnels for metro projects and roads, as well as lifts used in high-rise buildings.

Government push to strengthen container manufacturing

As reported earlier by Business Standard, the Centre had been working on a plan to boost India’s shipping and maritime strength, which included supporting the manufacturing of shipping containers within the country.

 

Officials and industry executives had said the government was looking at offering financial support to container makers to reduce dependence on imports.

Plan to support new and existing factories

According to the report, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways had initiated discussions on a support programme for container manufacturing. The goal was to help companies set up new production lines and expand existing factories.

 

The initiative is expected to improve domestic capacity and encourage investment in the sector.

India lags China in container production

At present, India can manufacture only about 30,000 containers a year. In comparison, China dominates the global market and can produce around 5 million containers annually.

 

The new scheme aims to narrow this gap and make India a more significant player in global container manufacturing.

 

A senior government official told Business Standard that early estimates suggest about ₹12,000 crore may be required to reach an annual production capacity of around 600,000 containers.