New liner services give growing India-Africa tradelane a welcome boost

Stronger demand and higher freight yields seem to be driving an influx of fresh capacity into India-Africa trades. The latest entry is a consortium of three Asian carriers, HMM, Cosco, and Pacific International Lines (PIL), according to industry updates. They will jointly deploy six vessels – three from HMM, two from Cosco, and the other from PIL – on a weekly service branded by the South Korean liner as the Gulf-India-East Africa (GIA). The GIA’s 35-day port rotation will be JNPA-Mundra-Dar es Salaam-Mombasa-Nhava Sheva, with the first sailing scheduled for 23 September. The partners claim the new loop will boost the growing tradelane with its faster transits. The Seoul-based carrier said: “With the introduction of GIA Service, HMM anticipates providing customers with more efficient and reliable sea transportation.” Meanwhile. French carrier CMA CGM has introduced a weekly direct service, the Kilima, connecting the Far East to Kenya and Tanzania. The standalone loop includes a call at Sri Lanka’s Colombo port to serve Indian shippers via transhipment. The new services come as the African region is seen to be developing as an alternative sourcing hub for western importers, thanks to its low-cost production advantages. Bilateral trade between India and Africa was up 14% year on year in fiscal year 2025-26, by value, according to available data, as, with the western trade environment remaining volatile, Indian exporters diversify their market reach. Container freight rates from India to East Africa have also become more appealing. According to industry data, booking prices ex-Nhava Sheva (JNPA) are currently in the region of $2,300 per teu and $2,800 per 40ft to Mombasa/Dar es Salaam. Indian logistics industry stakeholders have upbeat expectations from the India-Africa trade corridor. Vinayak Shukla, Africa tradelane head at Mumbai-based Triton Logistics & Maritime, told The Loadstar : “Africa is a stable and consistent market for multinational companies as major carriers already have a foothold and large conglomerates aggressively invest in port infrastructure development there. “These enhancements will facilitate maritime routes and services to inland destinations in Africa.” Pushpank Kaushik, CEO of Hyderabad-based diversified maritime group Jassper Shipping, added: “The India–Africa trade corridor is undoubtedly shifting towards a much more complex partnership based on the value chain. We have observed increased demand for project cargo, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, automotive components, food products, and renewable energy products into East and West Africa.”