MoPSW: MoUs Signed to Establish Bharat Container Shipping Line and Finance Outer Harbour ProjectIn February 2026, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) announced that two significant Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed in New Delhi (Delhi), to establish the Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL) and to finance the Outer Harbour Project at V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VoCPA), in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu (TN).
Establishment of Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL):
Objective: BCSL aims to create an integrated domestic container ecosystem to manage containerised cargo, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of India’s international trade value.
Signatories: The MoU was signed among Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Container Corporation of India (CONCOR), Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VoCPA), Chennai Port Authority, and Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL) under the aegis of MoPSW.
Outer Harbour Project at VoCPA:
Agreement: A tripartite MoU was signed between VOCPA, Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited (IRFC), and SMFCL.
Funding Size: The MoU provides for joint funding of up to Rs 15,000 crore for port capacity expansion projects.
Programme Link: The projects are covered under the Sagarmala Programme, MoPSW and the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP).
About Shipping Corporation of India (SCI):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Captain Binesh Kumar Tyagi
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established  – 1961