Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) is scheduled to launch in November a new containerized service between the port of Mombasa, Kenya, and Nhava Sheva, India. Operating with five other shipping companies, the link will initially have a capacity of 2,500 TEUs per week.
According to the Kenya Port Authority (Kenya Ports Authority, KPA), HMM plans to enter the Kenyan market with a new link between the port of Mombasa and Nhava Sheva, one of the main container ports on the West Coast of India. The service is scheduled to begin in November with a weekly vessel with an initial capacity of 2,500 20-foot equivalent (TEU).
Operations will be carried out through a consortium of HMM, Pacific International Lines (PIL), China COSCO Shipping Corporation (COSCO), Ocean Network Express (ONE), Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) and Inchcape Shipping.
KPA has indicated that this new service comes as the port of Mombasa continues to invest in the extension and modernisation of its infrastructure.
Its Managing Director, William Ruto, welcomed the arrival of this service, while Jang Wonjun, Senior Vice President of HMM, explained that the company's decision was based, inter alia, on Mombasa's position as a gateway to East African markets. The new link must therefore add a regular maritime capacity between Kenya and India.
The port of Mombasa handles approximately 2.1 million TEUs per year and serves the Kenyan market as well as several landlocked countries in East and Central Africa, including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.
In particular, KPA is continuing the construction of the 19B dock post and of a container fleet at extension 23. In August 2026, the port authority had also launched an automated portal pilot project (Smart Gate) at Portal 24 and implemented the Advance Cargo Declaration (Advanced Cargo Declaration) system, allowing certain formalities to be processed prior to the loading of goods at the port of origin.
The announced arrival of HMM comes after further reinforcements of maritime services in Mombasa. In August, the Taiwanese company Interasia Lines announced a weekly port service in partnership with HMM, PIL and COSCO.
These developments occur as Kenyan port authorities seek to increase Mombasa's processing capacities and maritime connections with regional and international markets.
