From the UN to Mumbai’s Maritime Marvel

Ishita Chattopadhyay’s Voyage of Philanthropy and Leadership in the Shipping Industry

In the heart of Mumbai, where the bustling streets meet the shimmering Arabian Sea, a remarkable tale unfolds. It is a story of a daughter’s triumphant return to India, her tireless commitment to her family’s shipping business, and her unwavering dedication to making a meaningful impact on her community. Meet Ishita Chattopadhyay, whose journey from the United Nations to making an impact in International Health and Development to holding the reigns of her father’s Shipping Empire that was once the kick-starter for strategic and global changes for Indian Nationality Crew Management systems!
Being the visionary she is, Ms. Ishita has big plans to now make an impact in the Shipping Industry, following the footsteps and the legacy of her father, Mr. Asok Chattopadhyay, Chairman & Founder of Confidence Shipping Co. Pvt Ltd. and group of companies. She now holds reigns as 2nd generation and newly appointed CEO to bolster Shipping Management services globally.
Ms. Ishita Chattopadhyay proudly shared her story of Confidence Shipping and how she hopes to further expand and enhance the ongoing systems and processes through garnering fresh talented leadership and strategic partnerships to do better business. “I have big shoes to fill, but I’m excited to embark on this journey following the path that my dad once tread for the Indian shipping industry in the early 1980s”, she exclaims!
**An Odyssey at the United Nations & in International Development **
Ishita Chattopadhyay’s journey to leadership in the maritime world began on the global stage. After completing her education in India and USA with two credible Masters’ Degrees in Management and Health sciences, she embarked on a remarkable international career. Her early experiences in Mumbai as a social worker in various Community Development and Slum intervention programs took her to the United Nations and top International Development Agencies, where she worked tirelessly to address critical issues affecting vulnerable populations worldwide in the areas of Community Development, HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health, Maternal & Child Health and Sanitation. During her tenure at the UN, Ishita honed her skills in diplomacy, negotiation, and strategic planning. She played a vital role in humanitarian missions and worked with 120 UN country offices to ensure promotion of programs and policies at a country level. Her time at the UN instilled in her a profound sense of purpose and a deep commitment to making a positive impact on the world.
Thereafter she finally launched her own Social Enterprise in Toilet Management and Sanitation services in India where she worked with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, as well as various MLAs, Mayors and Municipal Corporations, Private Toilet Contractors and Government Stakeholders, to build better Public, Slum Community and School Toilets and Management systems across rural and urban cities in India.

**The Confidence Shipping Story – putting India on the Global Map**

Confidence Shipping is a 40year old Ship Management Company, started in 1983 by Mr Asok Chattopadhyay with the vision to build and expand the market for Indian Crew Management globally. Ms. Ishita expresses in her own words: “As a young Chief Engineer, who then came ashore to work for a Norwegian Ship owner in Ship Management, my Dad realized that there would be huge potential to develop the Indian Ship Management systems to cater to Foreign Ship Owners globally. In the early 1980s when the Shipping Industry was going through a slump, he found it opportune to start a venture to build and develop better crew management systems in India to cater to various European and South-East Asian Ship Owners, thus reducing the operational costs drastically. With this vision in mind he invited several European, Japanese, Chinese, Hong Kong, and UK based Ship owners to diversify their seafarer pool with the Indian nationality. He proudly says, our seafarers are the Heart of the Ship! And we must take care of our Owners’ vessels with well-experienced and well trained Seafarers. Some of our first few clients who we had strategic and long-term partnerships and ventures with included K-LINE, P&O Bulk, Alhers, Aug Bolten, Anglo Eastern, Hong Kong Borneo, and Unique Shipping, to name a few, which set the stage for us globally.
Confidence Shipping Co. Pvt. Ltd. (CSC) prides itself in being the first few Indian companies to initiate many a program to open services to International Ship Owners:
• CSC was the first to enter into a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the International Trade Federation (ITF)-London and National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) to provide Indian certified seafarers at a competitive rate to run safe ship operations for ship owners for OECD Countries
• CSC was the first Indian company to be awarded the Quality Assurance certification by DNV, under ISO 9001
• Confidence Shipping founded the Ocean Education and Research Centre (OERC) and introduced a 4-year Marine Engineering Degree course in partnership with the Mumbai University for various Pre-sea and Post-Sea training courses in Mumbai
• CSC was one of the founding members and directors of the Foreign Owners Representative and Ship Managers Association (FOSMA) and FOSMA Maritime Institute and Research Organisation (FMIRO), formed to bolster seafarer welfare and training standards and promote foreign ship-owners’ engagement in India
• CSC also played a pivotal role in establishing the Maritime Welfare Floating Trust along with Maritime Union of India (MUI), to build holiday homes and welfare centres for Seafarers
**Charting a New Course – A vision for the Future**
While Dad’s tireless journey led him to become one of the key players in shaping the Indian Shipping Industry, the Company’s legacy still rests on the strategic public-private and global partnerships, which has created a huge impact on International Shipping and Trade. According to the BIMCO 2021 Report, India is one of the Top 5 seafarer supplying countries worldwide.
Joining in as 2nd generation in this line of business I feel proud to hear many stories from our esteemed industry stalwarts and leaders who tell me how they are now bearing the fruits of the seeds that my father once sowed. I feel privileged to be given the opportunity to embark on this journey and receive all the positive support and faith bestowed on me, which has now become my driving force to continue to make an impact in the Indian and Global Shipping Diaspora!
I am also happy to be one of the 1st Female Directors at FOSMA and look forward to participating wholeheartedly with our fraternity in forming more uniform policies and well-integrated training systems for a larger supply of Indian seafarers globally.
My vision for Confidence Shipping and its group of companies is to promote the Indian nationality in the industry, and empower women to participate in various roles, both at sea and onshore. My hope is to build our scope of work in Ship Management, Marine Consultancy, Training, Port Agency and Logistics Services and use advanced IT and Technology platforms to monitor and deliver our services globally. Shipping is such a vast industry and has huge potential. I am definitely looking to develop our operations further with a team of dedicated and entrepreneurial master mariners and marine engineers.
– As shared by Ms. Ishita.
–Marex Media