HMM launches GIA service, enhancing direct cargo routes between India and East Africa, boosting reliability for shippers.
HMM, the world's eighth-largest container operator with roughly 1.04 million TEU across 99 vessels, will launch a new container service linking India and East Africa in the fourth week of September.
The route, named the Gulf-India-East Africa Service (GIA), provides cargo owners moving goods between India, Central Asia, and East Africa with a new direct connection to two of the region's principal gateways.
The service will deploy five container ships of 2,800 TEU each and follow a rotation of Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Dar es Salaam, and Mombasa. The first departure will sail from Nhava Sheva. The two Indian ports will act as consolidation points, gathering cargo from India and Central Asia for onward transport to markets in Tanzania and Kenya.
For shippers, the practical takeaway is added reliability and reach. The fixed four-port rotation offers predictable transit windows into East Africa, while the consolidation model at Nhava Sheva and Mundra opens a scheduled option for volumes that previously relied on less direct routings.
HMM will run the GIA service jointly with China's COSCO Shipping, Singapore-based Pacific International Lines (PIL), and Taiwan's Interasia Lines. Pooling capacity across four operators supports schedule stability and broader coverage, both of which matter to cargo owners managing tight delivery commitments.
The four partners have signaled that they may extend the connection to the Gulf region in the future, depending on market conditions. That potential expansion would widen the network's geographic reach without changing its current East African focus.
The GIA route is HMM's second feeder network in Africa built on the hub-and-spoke model that its container division has pursued under CEO Choi Won-hyuk. The approach concentrates cargo at designated hub ports, where large vessels handle major international routes and smaller feeder ships distribute volumes to regional ports.
The new service complements HMM's existing MA2 service, which serves Northern and Western Africa through the Port of Algeciras. The two routes use different anchors: MA2 relies on Algeciras as its hub for African destinations, while the GIA service will operate through Nhava Sheva and Mundra. Together, they broaden HMM's African coverage and, with the addition of Dar es Salaam and Mombasa, connect two of East Africa's main maritime access points to its wider network.
HMM has noted that both Kenya and Tanzania are advancing port infrastructure and inland logistics projects, which stand to improve connectivity for cargo owners routing goods across India, Central Asia, and East Africa.
HMM has linked the launch to changing requirements among international shippers. According to the company, uncertainty across global supply chains has raised demand for stable schedules and connections to a wider set of destinations. The GIA service pairs large vessels on long-haul routes with feeder ships that distribute cargo across regional markets, linking ocean services to shorter regional legs.
To support routes of this type, HMM continues to add feeder vessels that can operate alongside its larger container ships. The company regards these units as necessary to expand network coverage and adapt services to the conditions of each market.
The GIA launch also forms part of HMM's fleet growth plans. In a recent regulatory filing, the company set a target of 1.47 million TEU in total capacity by 2030, distributed across 166 vessels. Reaching that goal would represent a substantial increase from its current fleet.
HMM has indicated that the new connection will extend its hub-and-spoke strategy in Africa and expand its presence in markets with growth potential, with any inclusion of Middle Eastern ports dependent on future demand. For cargo owners, the expansion signals a carrier steadily broadening the scheduled options available for trade between India, Central Asia, and East Africa.