The commercial side of shipping may often operate behind the scenes, but on 11th September, the professionals who help move that industry forward took centre stage at the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) Mumbai Annual Awards Night 2026, held at The Ballard Pier, Mumbai. Bringing together experienced maritime professionals, industry leaders, Fellows, students and emerging talent, the evening celebrated academic excellence while reflecting on the changing opportunities and responsibilities within the commercial maritime sector.
Serving as Master of Ceremonies, Capt. Anupam Raizada opened the evening with characteristic maritime humour, drawing attention to the venue’s proximity to Mumbai’s port and its connection with the city’s seafaring heritage. Welcoming the Institute’s global leadership, members, students and award recipients, he also highlighted the growing presence of Indian professionals in leadership positions within ICS. With Ms. Jyoti Reshamwala leading the Mumbai Branch and Ms. Arathi Narayanan at the helm in Chennai, he observed, “It is a proud moment for the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers that Indian professionals are leading at the global level and within India. With strong leadership from women at the Mumbai and Chennai branches, the Institute continues to strengthen its maritime community.”
For Ms. Reshamwala, who assumed the Chairperson’s role in July 2026, the evening marked both continuity and a new beginning. Reflecting on the Mumbai Branch’s two-decade journey, she credited its Managing Committee for building a strong platform for professional development while stressing the importance of preparing maritime professionals for a rapidly changing industry. Green shipping, digitalisation, alternative fuels and autonomous vessels, she noted, are reshaping commercial shipping and creating new opportunities across shipowning, broking, agency, management and port development. “The future of shipping is green and digital. As India advances towards Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, maritime professionals must embrace technology, adapt to alternative fuels, decarbonisation and autonomous vessels, while strengthening education, diversity and expertise across the industry.” she said.
Chief Guest Capt BK Tyagi, CMD of Shipping Corporation of India, widened the discussion to India’s strategic maritime ambitions. Highlighting that Indian-flag vessels currently carry only a relatively small share of the country’s cargo; he stressed the need to strengthen domestic shipping capacity and reduce dependence on foreign tonnage. He pointed to government measures supporting merchant-fleet expansion, shipbuilding clusters, maritime finance and vessel construction and recycling in India. “If India wants to sustain its economic growth, it must become more self-reliant in shipping and logistics. Expanding the Indian merchant fleet and building ships domestically will strengthen our maritime capabilities while creating substantial employment and business opportunities across the wider maritime ecosystem.” Tyagi said.
The commercial perspective was reinforced by Mr. Krishnan Subramaniam, Global Chairperson of ICS, who reflected on his own professional journey and the role education had played in opening global opportunities. He described the Institute as more than a qualification provider, pointing to its professional network, practical orientation and evolving educational initiatives, including a new global member platform, digital examinations planned from 2027, membership by dissertation and the ICS Education Fund. “India has an enormous maritime opportunity, but its success will depend on developing competent, job-ready professionals who can apply knowledge to commercial realities. Knowledge opens doors, competence enables performance, while character, integrity, judgment and leadership determine how far professionals ultimately go.” he said.
That focus on practical competence was reflected in the evening’s awards, which recognised students achieving top results across a broad range of commercial shipping disciplines, including dry cargo and tanker chartering, shipping business, shipping law, marine insurance, shipping finance, logistics and multimodal transport, port and terminal management, liner trades and ship operations.
The evening also offered industry professionals an opportunity to reflect on their own experiences with ICS. Mr. Santosh Patil of IRClass recalled becoming an ICS member in 2005 and a Fellow in 2008, describing the Institute as a gateway to international professional networks and opportunities. Capt. Vikas Pandey of Shipfinex highlighted how ICS had supported his own professional journey while introducing Shipfinex’s vision of using maritime asset tokenisation to broaden participation in ship ownership. Mr. Arjun Sekhon of MLA College showcased flexible distance-learning programmes designed to allow active seafarers to pursue higher qualifications while continuing their careers at sea, with learners spread across 65 countries. A representative of Adonia also outlined the company’s engagement with India’s marine insurance and shipbuilding ecosystem and its support for the country’s expanding maritime capabilities.
The evening’s conversations repeatedly returned to one underlying theme: education must evolve alongside the industry it serves. For students, the awards represented recognition for years of study and effort; for the professionals in the room, they offered a glimpse of the people who will shape shipping’s commercial future.
The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr. Hariharan Subbiah, followed by cocktails, dinner and networking. As the Ballard Pier gathering drew to a close, the message from the evening was clear—India’s maritime ambitions will require not only more ships and stronger infrastructure, but also a new generation of commercially astute professionals capable of understanding the industry, adapting to change and leading it forward.
Marex Media