South Korea’s HMM, formerly Hyundai Merchant Marine, is adding the Port of Mombasa to its network with a weekly container service to India. The route links Mombasa to Nhava Sheva and Mundra, India’s main western container ports.
The service will run weekly, and vessel schedules show first departures from Nhava Sheva on September 23 and 27. The port rotation runs Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Dar es Salaam and Mombasa, in that order.
Shipping Lines Share the Service
HMM will not run the service alone. Trade sources say a group of Asian carriers led by Pacific International Lines (PIL), HMM, Cosco, Interasia Lines, OOCL and ONE will operate two strings, one calling at Mombasa and the other at Dar es Salaam. The vessels range from 2,300 to 2,800 TEU, the standard measure of container capacity.
PIL said the service “connects major production hubs and consumer markets” in India and East Africa. HMM said Kenya and Tanzania are gateway ports where port infrastructure and inland logistics are still being developed.
Kenya Ports Authority Backs the Entry
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Capt. William Ruto welcomed the service and said it raises Mombasa’s standing as a regional hub. Jang Wonjun, HMM’s Senior Vice President and head of its Container Logistics Management Office in Korea, credited the port’s position as the regional hub for the decision to enter Kenya. The HMM team said it looks forward to a successful first voyage and to more HMM services at Mombasa.
Ruto made a similar case in March, when the Akkon Line under its East Africa Service (EAS) opened a route to Mombasa. “Every new service strengthens regional trade,” he said.
KPA has been investing in the expansion and modernization of port infrastructure. Mombasa has two container terminals with a combined annual capacity of 2.3 million TEU, and a new berth will lift that to 3.1 million TEU. The port handled a record 45.45 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, as Khusoko reported. KPA says more than 40 shipping lines call at the port.
Rivals Already Serve the India Route
HMM enters a busy market. Maersk and MSC lead it. Maersk delivered 213,066 containers at Mombasa in 2024, 28.2 percent of throughput, while MSC delivered 152,687, or 18.9 percent.
On the India corridor, CMA CGM runs its Swahili Express, a direct service from West Indian and Gulf ports to Kenya and Dar es Salaam. Turkey’s Akkon Line launched an East Africa service in March. It sails every two weeks between Nhava Sheva, Mundra and Karachi and Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. .
Rates remain under pressure. Maersk and MSC changed schedules and added surcharges after the conflict in the Middle East escalated, according to Khusoko’s March report. Port activity also feeds other sectors. In September, a drilling rig for Kenya’s South Lokichar oil project arrived through Mombasa. KPA has handled record cargo before, and Khusoko covered the port’s largest bulk carrier call in 2019.
Mombasa Port’s Ksh 19 Billion Berth Takes Shape as Cargo Volumes Keep Climbing
About HMM
HMM is South Korea’s largest national container carrier. It operates more than 110 vessels connecting Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, and the company says it ranks 14th among global container lines by capacity. It carries most of South Korea’s export cargo since Hanjin Shipping left the market. It also moves crude oil, LNG, coal and iron ore for the Korean economy.
The company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification and complies with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. It handles dry, refrigerated and special containers as well as bulk cargo. The Mombasa route builds on its MA2 service, which links North and West Africa through Algeciras in Spain.
For Kenyan importers and exporters, another carrier on the India route means more sailings and more choice on rates.
