Mumbai - India’s flagship Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is poised to reshape the coastal shipping sector with its new plans to charter container vessels, a strategic move that could strengthen domestic maritime logistics and reduce dependence on road and rail freight.

Under the charter initiative, SCI aims to bring additional container ships into coastal routes connecting key ports along India’s east and west coasts. By deploying these vessels on short-sea shipping lanes, the corporation seeks to provide efficient, cost-effective alternatives to long-haul land transport, decongest major highways and lower overall logistics costs . . .