As the country celebrates Aazadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Institute of Marine Engineers (India), Mumbai on 20th August launched 3 new chapters in the UK, Singapore, and Hongkong along with showcasing its ongoing projects and the vision ahead. Present on the occasion was Mr. Vikrant Rai, Deputy Director of Shipping, who was felicitated by the President of IMEI, Mr VK Jain.

Welcoming all to the event, Mr. Jain said, “It’s a matter of great pride that IME(I) is inaugurating today 3 international chapters located in the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

“We also have over 30 members from Sri Lanka and Germany and are looking for more outstation members,” he said.

“The Institute of Marine Engineers previously existed in India as a division of the Institute of Marine Engineers, UK. It was a bold step and vision by its founder members, to start IME(I) autonomously in 1970.

“Today, it’s been over four and a half decades, and the institute happens to be one of the largest marine professional organizations in the world, with an over 12,000 strong membership.

“We carry out a plethora of activities which are resulting in the exponential growth of IME(I), with many marine engineers valuing joining and serving our organization.”

REACHING OUT TO DGS

Addressing IME(I)) issues to Mr. Vikrant Rai, he said, “We seek the help of DGS in regards to the recognition of class 1, class 2, and class 4 COC for higher education, which will help engineers in the enhancement of their careers. We have a lot of experienced and enthusiastic members who are willing to contribute to assisting in the development of the shipping industry and seafarers.

“With 8 chapters, including the additional 3 international chapters launched today, we seek to set up more training centers, so that the seafarers can receive quality education in a logistically easier manner through our offices and chapters all across the globe.”

Mr. Vikrant Rai said in his inaugural speech, “I feel honored to inaugurate the three international chapters today, and I congratulate and thank Mr. Vijay Jain, Mr. Kaushik Seal, and Mr. Jagmeet Makkar, the founding chairmen who have taken keen interest in opening these chapters, and without the support of the many stalwarts of IME(I) this would not have been possible.

“With opening of these foreign chapters, we at DGS are looking forward to have people from abroad to help us with their experiences in various countries, as to how they are dealing with the problems and thinking towards revolutionizing shipping in this ongoing 4th industrial revolution. The hybridization after covid has given us a great opportunity to involve them in the committees and sub committees of the IMO.”

For the last four decades, IME(I) has envisioned expanding across the globe, but had to follow tight rules governed by the charity commissioner, along with complex income tax laws that were major deterrents in the past. After extensive discussion with several advisors and the able leadership and guidance of the Chairman of International Relations Sub-Committee Mr. A.K Gupta, IME(I) today has been able to work out a solution to the problem.

With the 75th year of India’s independence, the three chapters started to reach out to India’s diaspora across the globe, which now on will help IME(I) to have global interactions towards the participation in the shipping industry, which is the way ahead towards having 15,000 members by 2023.

DIGITAL FUTURE INAUGURATED

On the occasion, an E-library was launched and Mr. Y Nath demonstrated on how it can be useful for the students. IME(I) is working to digitize all its monthly editions of their technical magazines, including 400 of them right back from the 1980s, along with numerous books, both technical and non-technical available, in to the digital library.

The library has rich resources of digitalized marine engineering books, journals, magazines, research papers, publications, and other study materials, which the students can easily seek with the help of a keyword search on the portal.

The library will enable the members to access books required for study purposes or leisure reading in the comfort of their homes, which are available at the touch of a button. IME(I) also signed an MOU with the Indian Maritime University last month to share their library resources.

IME(I) launched an i-Connect mobile app too, which contains a database of 12,000 members. The remodelled app is designed to connect members, while they can contact any member through mobile numbers, or emails. The app also provides features for creating a member’s brief profile and has personal information of each member including birthdays, anniversaries, and cities of residence. It can also help them to search for classmates and batchmates, city-wise.

The Event also gave insights on the various subcommittees functioning in IME(I) to take up various tasks namely Technical Subcommittee, Seminar, Training, Memberships, Students Chapter, Social Media, Social Initiative, and Branch Tie-ups, Welfare and Printing Sub-Committee.

The program concluded with an announcement of IME(I)’s flagship event INMARCO 2022 to be held this year at the Sahara Star in Mumbai on the 17-18-19th November.

Marex Media