TURKISH shipping company Arkas Line has strengthened its international presence by extending its route to India, reports London's Port Technology International.

Following its recent growth across the Red Sea, the company is now adding India to its network.

The firm hopes that by making this change, it will be able to gain access to new markets while also providing a better service structure to customers.

The new service called India Med Service (IMS) will commence February 10, 2025, with four vessels, each having a capacity of 2,500 TEU - 2,800 TEU.

As of June 2025, the number of vessels in this service will reportedly increase to five, continuing to operate weekly.

The route of the IMS will cover the following ports: Ambarli, Evyap, Aliaga, Mersin, Aqaba, Jeddah, NhavaSheva, Mundra, Jeddah, Aqaba, Alexandria and returning Ambarli.

By utilizing rail connections from the ports of Mundra and Nhava Sheva, the company will also facilitate the transportation of customers' cargo to key trade centres in the inland regions of India.

With the launch of the new IMS line, there will be a restructuring of the service network in the Mediterranean.

Arkas Line has decided to merge its existing Great Pendulum Service (GPS), East Med Morocco Service (EMS), and Spain-East Med (SEM) services.

The company's new Blue Med Service (BMS) intends to improve its Mediterranean network by providing a more efficient and comprehensive service structure.

The new Mediterranean route is as follows: Alexandria, Beirut, Lattakia, Mersin, Aliaga, Genoa, La Spezia, Tangier, Casablanca, Valencia, Barcelona, Fos Sur Mer, Genoa, La Spezia, Salerno and returning Alexandria.

With the introduction of the India Service, Arkas Line will now operate in 27 countries, providing 33 services across 72 ports.

Negotiations between the dock workers' International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and port employers the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) now have a very short window to produce a new master contract before a new strike, forcing box lines to mitigate the impact.

Arkas Line CEO, Can Atalay said: "In line with our growth plans, we are restructuring our services for greater efficiency, entering new markets, and continuing our investments in fleet renewal to provide solutions that meet our customers' needs.

"Since June 2024, we have been operating our Red Sea service with two vessels, each with a capacity of 1,600 TEU. Now, by extending this service to India, we are opening up to new geographies. Additionally, we are increasing the service capacity by deploying five vessels, each with a 2,800 TEU capacity, and launching the new direct service IMS; from India to the Mediterranean."