By Angelo Mathais India correspondent 6 August 2026Middle East-bound cargo transhipping via India is prompting secondary and niche container lines to expand their Red Sea service offerings, despite the escalating risks in the conflict region. The Red Sea Express will link JNPA (Nhava Sheva) in India with Sohar (Oman) and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), now key gateways for imports into the Persian Gulf. This is Messina’s second launch out of India with Red Sea coverage in less than a year. The port saw a noticeable surge in transhipment volumes last month, after the trend slowed slightly in May and June. Transhipment handling in July climbed to some 113,000 teu, up from June’s 93,500 teu and May’s 97,500 teu, data shows.