THE Indian government has laid out plans to develop a brand new container company, called Bharat Container Line, with 100 ships, reports Singapore's Splash 247.

Details as to when the liner will launch have yet to be revealed with officials saying it will be a public/private venture.

India has never had a large container fleet. The country's largest international player, the Shipping Corp of India (SCI), operates just four containerships.

The government of Narendra Modi is making much of shipping these days, developing ports and shipyards on a massive scale. The Indian prime minister visited the headquarters of France's CMA CGM yesterday while on a tour of Marseilles.