HMM is strengthening its presence in Africa with the launch of a new container service linking India and East Africa, further expanding its global shipping network and enhancing connectivity for customers across the region.
The South Korean carrier will commence its fully operated Gulf–India–East Africa (GIA) Service in the fourth week of September. The weekly service will connect key Indian gateways, Nhava Sheva and Mundra, with the East African ports of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Mombasa in Kenya. The inaugural sailing will depart from Nhava Sheva, with five 2,800 TEU container vessels deployed on the route.
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Designed to serve growing trade between India, Central Asia and East Africa, the GIA Service positions Nhava Sheva and Mundra as strategic transshipment hubs while offering direct access to two of East Africa’s fastest-growing logistics gateways.
To operate the service, HMM has partnered with three international shipping lines—China’s COSCO, Singapore’s PIL and Taiwan’s Interasia Lines. The company also plans to extend the network to ports in the Middle East as market demand evolves.
The new service marks another step in HMM’s long-term African expansion strategy. With established services to North and West Africaoader network spanning the continent. Kenya and Tanzania continue to emerge as key regional logistics hubs, supported by ongoing investments in port infrastructure and inland transport networks
HMM said the service has been introduced in response to changing shipper requirements, as businesses increasingly seek reliable schedules, diversified routing options and resilient supply chains amid continued global trade uncertainty. By integrating the new route with its feeder network, the carrier aims to offer broader market access and improved service reliability.
The launch also aligns with HMM’s long-term growth strategy, under which the company plans to expand its container fleet to 1.47 million TEU across 166 vessels by 2030. Alongside the new service, the carrier is continuing to strengthen its feeder vessel portfolio to improve network efficiency and complement its fleet of ultra-large container ships.
An HMM official emphasized, “The launch of this service will be an important milestone in expanding the hub-and-spoke strategy across Africa,” adding, “We will enhance global customer satisfaction based on differentiated service competitiveness.”
