CMA Strengthens Presence in Indian Market

CMA CGM recently announced the launch of new BIGEX 3 and BIGEX 4 services, complementing its existing BIGEX 1 and BIGEX 2 routes, to provide the most comprehensive and fastest direct connectivity between India, the Middle East, and the Red Sea. Both weekly services will offer industry-leading transit times and optimized reefer capacity to meet trade demands.

Service Details

• BIGEX 3 directly calls at Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Salalah, and Jeddah, with cargo for Port Sudan and Aqaba transshipped via Jeddah.

• BIGEX 4 connects two Indian ports (Nhava Sheva and Mundra) to Dammam and Umm Qasr, though exports are restricted to Dammam.

The inaugural voyages will commence from Nhava Sheva on February 23 (BIGEX 3) and February 25 (BIGEX 4).

Strategic Shift Amid Alliance Restructuring

The launch follows the dissolution of CMA CGM’s decades-old VSA (Vessel Sharing Agreement) with Hapag-Lloyd, triggered by the latter’s new “Gemini Cooperation” alliance with Maersk on key India-US and India-Europe routes. CMA CGM’s independent expansion into India-Red Sea services signals more than a niche market play—it reflects a broader strategy to “redefine” its growth roadmap in India, prioritizing direct control over critical trade lanes.