That Chennai holds a great future for the shipmanagement & shipmanning industry is perhaps obvious from the recent meet held in this southern shipping hub of India by the Foreign Ship-owners Representatives and Ship Managers Association (FOSMA).

Prominent FOSMA heads descended upon the city to strengthen bonds with the bigwigs of Chennai’s booming maritime industry. The presence at this event of the Vice Chancellor of the Indian Maritime University, Mrs Malini Shankar, IAS, underscored the importance that FOSMA attaches to their association with Chennai-based shipping players.

At this dinner hosted by FOSMA at the Taj Coromandel on the 30^th of October were present officers of the MMD, industry stalwarts Capt S Pullat, Mr Sanjiv Vakil, Capt Suresh Amirapu, Mr. Chidambaram, Capt D Bhatia, Dr (Capt) Suresh Bhardwaj, Mr J Ramachandran, Mr Rustom Cassinath; amongst other representatives from MUI, NUSI and other very esteemed personalities.

Capt Ramaswamy, the recently appointed Director to the Board who has been in Chennai for decades, introduced the FOSMA Chairperson Capt. Sankalp Shukla, who said: “Chennai and the shipping industry here hold a very important place in our hearts, even more so as I have spent my own growing up years here.

“At FOSMA we are keen to see more Chennai-based companies join Fosma and partake in the many advantages offered by our knowledge & experience, and long working relationship with the administration centred in Mumbai.”

Capt Rajesh Tandon, Director, FOSMA, noted, “Chennai has a great role to play in the industry, and we look forward to establishing a stronger bond with the shipmanagement & shipmanning sectors, which promise a weighty upward trajectory.”

Capt Navin Passey, former FOSMA Chairperson, thanked the body of the gathered invitees, adding, “It is a great pleasure to be honoured by the presence of the cream of the industry based in Chennai. We look forward to many more visits and fruitful interactions.”

Besides Shipmanagement & Shipmanning, Chennai boasts a significant presence in Maritime Training, Shiprepair, and Shipping Commerce & Logistics.

Established in 1989, FOSMA is registered as a non-profit organization. As a body representative, the association takes up matters of common interest of Member Companies and their seafarers with the Authorities concerned to obtain a rational resolution of all the issues involved.

FOSMA attendees included Mr Kisan Karnad, Capt Mukesh Sharan, Capt. Jitender Kanwar, and Capt MC Yadav.

Marex Media