₹10,000 crore container scheme under appraisal: Sarbananda Sonowal

Government's Rs 10,000 crore container manufacturing scheme is under appraisal, aiming to boost domestic capacity, cut import dependence and strengthen supply chains

The government’s recently announced container manufacturing scheme is currently being appraised, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal informed Parliament on Thursday.

 

“The Government in Budget Speech 2026-27 has announced a scheme for container manufacturing in India with a budget outlay of Rs 10,000 crore aimed at creating a globally competitive container manufacturing ecosystem in the country through financial incentives to support establishment and expansion of container manufacturing units. The Ministry has initiated the process of appraisal of the scheme,” the minister said. 

Meanwhile, the parliamentary standing committee on commerce said there is a growing need to bring containers under the Make in India initiative. 

 

“Under the Make in India initiative, the Department may consider incentivising domestic manufacturing of shipping-grade containers to address the persistent shortage of such containers, which are essential for efficient and secure international trade. The Committee is of the view that a targeted Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme may be examined to promote large-scale domestic production of shipping containers,” it said.

 

Such measures would reduce logistics vulnerabilities, stabilise freight costs, strengthen supply chain resilience and enhance India’s export competitiveness. The committee further recommends that more sectors may also be explored for inclusion under the Make in India initiative, it added.

 

In an interview with this paper after the Union Budget, Sonowal said the scheme will target annual domestic manufacturing capacity of 750,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a general benchmark of containers, per year, which could be around 10 per cent of the global annual container demand.

 

This will substantially reduce reliance on imports and conserve foreign exchange. Additionally, it will create 3,000 direct and 50,000 indirect jobs. It will also generate investments of over Rs 1 trillion.