Pratik Bijlani – d’Amico Ship Ishima India organised its flagship seminar Beyond the Horizon on 4th & 5th February at Hotel Leela, Mumbai, bringing together ship officers, shore staff and maritime professionals for two days of focused knowledge sharing and forward-looking dialogue. The seminar reflected the company’s continued emphasis on safety, compliance, crew welfare and…
Traditionally, shipping has been regarded as the backbone of global trade. Without shipping, the world would starve; and seafarers, entrusted with transporting precious cargo across oceans, remain the true assets who keep the world moving. Yet this noble profession has consistently borne the harshest brunt during pandemics and wars. Strait of Hormuz: Epicentre of Global…
Dr Radhika Vakharia – The escalating Iran-Israel-US war has drawn not only global attention for its geopolitical and economic shockwaves, but an equally grave and less visible, although highly-probable, consequence: a mounting environmental crisis driven by attacks on oil infrastructure and tankers across the Gulf. Recent strikes on energy facilities, including refineries, gas fields, and…
Dr Radhika Vakharia – India’s maritime trade is vast, yet its presence in global shipping remains surprisingly small. The country has roughly 1,500 merchant vessels, accounting for less than 1.5 percent of the world’s total shipping tonnage. Despite being a major trading nation, India transports only about 7 to 8 percent of its own export…
Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) has taken into class Lila Jamnagar, a 298,997 DWT Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) and one of the largest vessels to sail under the Indian flag. The addition of the vessel marks an important milestone for India’s tanker fleet and highlights the growing role of Indian classification in supporting the…
Two pressing concerns impacting Indian seafarers have been formally raised by Frank Viegas, President of the Goan Seafarers Association of India (GSAI), in appeals to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Directorate General of Shipping. The first relates to the newly announced Seafarers Welfare Fund Society (SWFS) Old Age Benefit Scheme, which…
After five successful editions across Bangalore, Goa, Chennai, and Mumbai, Naughtica returns to Mumbai on 20th and 21st March for its biggest celebration yet. This year, 24 colleges and over 700 students will compete in 15 activities over two days, vying for medals and the coveted trophy. Supported by some of the country’s most eminent…
Pratik Bijlani – Amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) and the International Maritime Federation (IMF) jointly convened an urgent virtual meeting on 4 March titled “War Update: P&I Coverage Suspension + Stranded Seafarers.” The session followed an earlier emergency coordination meeting held on 2 March and…
