A young, dynamic and well-seasoned maritime professional who has successfully executed his responsibilities in senior management positions in all facets of ship management, seafarers development with statutory compliances within maritime space and industrial relations, amongst others; at a tender age of 65, Capt Rajesh Tandon adds another laurel to his experience and achievements – he has been appointed as President of V Ships India on June 2021.

In an all exclusive interaction with Marex Media, Capt Tandon expresses his views on his new role and challenges faced during the ongoing pandemic.

Congratulations on taking over the reins of Presidentship at V. Ships India. What are your feelings on accepting this vital position?

Thank you for your kind words. I am delighted with the appointment and am humbled to have been considered for the same. Following the Company’s decision to have a presence in India nearly 3 decades ago, I was appointed as the Company representative and tasked with setting up the Company’s offices.

I reflect back on the last 30 years period with a sense of satisfaction to see the Company’s growth in the period. I clearly remember those times and it never ceases to surprise me how time has flown by. I would like to thank the V Ships Management for reposing their trust in me for this crucial responsibility, despite the fact that the only experience I had was as a sea-going Master. Their trust and support in my efforts was perhaps the key to the success of the Company and has earned my loyalty to V Ships for life. I would like to thank each and every member of the V Ships team here in Mumbai and other locations for their 100% dedication and support, and they are equal partners in the success story.

In the new role, I look forward to working with the various V Group business unit heads in India and provide them all the advice and support for the endeavours and initiatives that the Company hopes to pursue.

What attitudinal assets would you like to nurture at your company?

The Company has five values – known as the Five C’s – that guide us all in running the company and making decisions. These are WE CARE, WE COLLABORATE, WE CHALLENGE, WE ARE CONSISTENT, WE COMMIT AND DELIVER, and practiced in letter and spirit by each of our employees. It is has always been my aim and endeavour to promote the Company’s values and to mentor the entire team.

How is V. Ships dealing with crew changes and transfers amidst prevailing border restrictions?

From the time the world came to a standstill as a consequence of the pandemic some 18 months ago, the entire industry has faced unsurmountable challenges in facilitating crew changes. The seafarers need to be saluted for their efforts in keeping the global trade going and the old cliché that “Without seafarers, half the world would starve while the other half would freeze” best describes their sacrifice, literally.

V Ships has set up a global team to address and deal with the challenges the border restrictions pose and has worked with the various agencies globally to maximise crew reliefs upon completion of their contracts. Our global reach and penetration into crew supply sources were key and we were able to keep the delays in relief to a minimum.

What measures have been taken to boost the morale of the crew during these tough times?

In keeping with our values, we constantly review our EAP initiatives. During this trying period, we have continued to provide support to our seafaring colleagues and their families with added focus on health and wellbeing related matters.

To know you better, tell us the 3 phrases that best describe you please.

This question would perhaps best be answered by my line manager or people from the team that I am part of. Since you ask, if I were to identify 3 things that are most important to me not only at workplace but also in the day to day life would be:

1. Honesty and Integrity are very high in my personal agenda which are also the measure of any individual’s commitment and loyalty to the Company’s objectives.
2. Leading from the front, and carrying the workforce as a team has helped me to achieve the objectives that were set out for the business units I have led.

• Last, but not the least, I have always been passionate in all tasks and endeavour to see them through to their logical conclusion.

Lastly, I would like to use this space in Marex Media to thank the entire industry whose support and cooperation provided the impetus and encouragement to work for the improvement in growing the employment opportunities for Indian seafarers in the global markets.