India-East Africa maritime service expansion

Shipping carriers are expanding maritime services between India and East Africa, transitioning from single service loops to two dedicated loops starting in September 2026. This restructuring is intended to improve schedule reliability, address port congestion, and provide more stable logistics for the trade corridor.

HMM announced the launch of its Gulf-India-East Africa (GIA) service, which will utilize five 2,800-TEU feeder vessels to connect Indian hub ports Nhava Sheva and Mundra with Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Mombasa in Kenya. This service is part of a hub-and-spoke strategy and involves a partnership with COSCO Shipping, Pacific International Lines (PIL), and Interasia Lines.

In addition to HMM’s expansion, Pacific International Lines is enhancing its Imara Express service with two loops: the IM1 loop connecting Nhava Sheva and Mundra to Dar es Salaam, and the IM2 loop connecting Nhava Sheva and Mundra to Mombasa. HMM’s expanded GIA service involves a six-carrier partnership including Ocean Network Express (ONE), Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), COSCO Shipping Lines, PIL, and Interasia Lines.