On 28 October 2026, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the ₹10,000 crore Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme (CMPS). First announced in the Union Budget 2026-27, it aims to expand domestic shipping-container production and reduce import dependence.
Scheme design and support
The CMPS will run for 13 years, from FY 2027-28 to FY 2039-40. This includes three years to establish facilities and ten years of production support. Of the allocation, ₹8,891 crore is for operational expenditure assistance, ₹859 crore for interest subvention assistance and ₹150 crore for testing and certification infrastructure. Eligible term loans will receive an annual interest subsidy of 3%.
Capacity, eligibility and projected outcomes
The scheme targets annual capacity of 750,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up from about 70,000. New facilities must have annual capacity of at least 100,000 TEUs; existing plants must add at least 25,000 TEUs a year to qualify. Supported manufacturers must initially meet a domestic-content requirement of 70%, rising to 90% from FY 2032-33.
By FY 2039-40, the scheme is projected to generate about ₹75,000 crore in economic output, around 3,000 direct jobs and more than 50,000 indirect jobs.
Important Facts for Exams
- Intermodal transfer: Intermodal freight containers are designed to move between transport modes without unloading and reloading their contents.
- Domestic-content trade risk: Green industrial policy analysis identifies local-content requirements as a source of trade disputes, relevant to domestic-sourcing conditions.
- Container dimensions standard: ISO 668 establishes the classification, external dimensions and ratings for Series 1 freight containers, supporting compatibility across international handling systems.
- Container performance tests: The ISO 1496 series specifies performance tests for freight containers, with separate parts covering general-cargo, thermal, tank and bulk-container types.
