A P Moller–Maersk has announced the launch of FI2, a new dedicated weekly ocean service connecting Far East Asia to the Indian Subcontinent, with the first westbound sailing departing Shanghai, China, on June 4, 2026.
The service was introduced in response to growing customer demand for additional capacity on the China-India trade route. It will be operated with a fleet of six vessels, each with a nominal capacity of 4,500 TEU, following the port rotation: Shanghai – Ningbo – Nansha – Tanjung Pelepas – Nhava Sheva – Pipavav – Port Qasim.
A notable feature of the FI2 service is its call at Pipavav on India’s northwestern Gujarat coastline. The port serves as a gateway to India’s Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) rail network, enabling cargo to be transported inland to the National Capital Region – including Delhi, Gurugram and Noida – and surrounding industrial belts. Maersk says this integration reduces transit times and provides more reliable door-to-door delivery for customers moving cargo in the automotive, chemicals, retail and technology sectors.
Thomas Theeuwes, managing director for South Asia at Maersk, said, “The FI2 is a direct response to what our customers want: more capacity, consistency and connectivity on the China-India route. By combining the weekly ocean service with our rail solution via the DFC, we are going a step further and giving our customers the true integrated logistics experience.”
The new service is designed to give Indian importers and exporters a faster, high-frequency connection to key manufacturing and sourcing hubs across northwestern India.
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