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There seems to be a frenzied injection of capacity by aspiring regional container lines into Indian trades, as US tariffs force local exporters to seek trade diversification.
Turkey-based carriers are apparently at the forefront of that push: buoyed by a strong trade response to its Indian debut in early 2025, Arkas Line plans to open a second string out of the emerging market to serve East Africa and Far East trades.
Arkas’ agency operations in India are handled by Mumbai-based Parekh Marine, which confirmed the capacity expansion, scheduled for early next year.
“Arkas will soon launch an additional service for India,” a Parekh Marine source told The Loadstar.
Arkas runs its India-Mediterranean loop via the Red Sea jointly with Turkon Line, deploying a fleet of five vessels. Launched in February 2025, the India-Med Service (IMS) has a rotation of Ambarli-Evyap-Aliaga-Mersin-Aqaba-Jeddah-Nhava Sheva-Mundra-Jeddah-Aqaba-Alexandria-Ambarli.
The partners are in the final stages of adding a sixth vessel to the loop for a consistent weekly rotation.
Industry sources agree Arkas and Turkon have made significant inroads into India-Mediterranean market share traditionally controlled by mega-carriers, using aggressive sales tools and competitive pricing on top of their ability to provide quicker transits.
For example, Arkas recently began offering northern India hinterland customers a customised rail solution for reefer cargo, in partnership with state-owned intermodal operator Concor.
The double-stack block train runs from Concor’s Dadri inland container depot to Mundra Port, helping Arkas lead its peers in handling time-sensitive, temperature-controlled exports and “deliver a game-changing advantage for cold chain logistics in India, offering customers enhanced efficiency, reduced transit times and an environmentally sustainable logistics solution”.
Indian exports to the Mediterranean involve sizeable volumes of agricultural products, according to industry data.
Sensing the volume pressure as trade shifts, CMA CGM has cut back on capacity in the trade by often blanking calls on its Medex service, industry sources say.
Another factor driving cargo volumes for direct Red Sea services is the demand for transhipment via Turkish hub ports, mainly Ambarli (Istanbul), Mersin and Izmir.
“Indian containers are increasingly transhipped in Turkey for Europe, Africa and Russia,” one industry observer told The Loadstar. “Trade from India to Russia is expanding, so Red Sea-based capacity for Turkey will remain bullish.”
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