DP World Cochin Adds New Service Linking India with Middle East Ports

DP World Cochin’s International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) has started handling calls from the new MGR IFR Service, establishing a direct shipping connection between India and key ports in the UAE, Oman and Yemen.

The fortnightly service links Cochin in Kerala and Nhava Sheva in Maharashtra with Fujairah in the UAE, Sohar in Oman and Aden in Yemen. The service is designed to provide importers and exporters in southern India with direct access to Middle Eastern markets and onward international trade routes.

The service is operated by two vessels, M.V. MARSA VIRGO and M.V. MARSA ZENITH, each with a capacity of more than 500 TEUs per voyage. M.V. MARSA VIRGO made the inaugural call at DP World Cochin, where the terminal handled more than 1,000 TEUs.

The service follows a rotation of Cochin–Nhava Sheva–Fujairah–Sohar–Aden–Cochin, adding another connection between Indian gateways and major Middle Eastern trading hubs.

DP World Cochin Records 97,952 TEUs in August

The new service comes as DP World Cochin reports higher container volumes at the terminal. In August 2026, ICTT handled 97,952 TEUs, its highest monthly throughput to date and a 51% increase compared with August 2025.

The terminal had also recorded monthly throughput of more than 74,000 TEUs in the preceding months.

Ravinder Johal, COO Ports & Terminals, Commercial and Operation – SCO, CA, LEVANT & EGYPT region, DP World said:

“The new port call under the MGR service expands our network and gives customers greater choice, reliable connections and improved reach to key markets in the Middle East. By working closely with our shipping line partners, we are not only strengthening supply chain resilience but also providing solutions that help EXIM businesses navigate disruption, optimise cargo flows deliver more efficiently. Our focus remains on enabling customers to make confident operational decisions through dependable connectivity and integrated logistics support”.

Cochin’s Role in India’s Coastal and International Trade

Cochin’s location provides coastal connections to ports along India’s western and eastern coasts, including gateways in Gujarat and Kolkata. The port also serves as a transit point for cargo moving between India’s east and west coasts.

DP World has also developed Kerala’s first Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) at Cochin, located alongside the terminal. The facility provides warehousing and trade-related capabilities for EXIM cargo and is positioned to support regional supply chain operations.