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The report gives an overview of the Indian shipping industry and studies the changing business environment in which it operates. As the global economy evolves from being capital-intensive to knowledge-intensive, i-maritime analyzes the industry’s competitiveness based on soft intangible parameters like human capital, information technology and expertise in addition to various traditional asset-oriented factors
Research and Information Division 3 .Contents i-maritime .
In section 5. we discuss the profile of Indian shipping industry and carry out analysis on various parameters to assess strengths and weaknesses of the industry as a whole.b. An overview of Indian shipping The total shipping bill for India’s merchandise trade . Most of the vessels chartered from foreign shipowners are large-sized VLCCs. China and South Korea. In section 4. Iron ore exports from India to East Asia India exports around 30 million tonnes of iron ore annually. Finally. we carry out a detailed analysis on the four largest Indian shipowners . we discuss the institutional and regulatory framework governing Indian shipping industry.coastal and overseas . It should be noted that globally iron ore shipments are made in large Capesize and Panamax vessels. i-maritime .SCI. we study the role that can be played by Indian shipping industry as the shipping industry gets gradually gets merged with the larger logistics and transportation sector and information flow gets demerged from physical goods flow. We have summarized the forecasts on global economy and trade performance. Exports from the ports of Mormugao. Chennai and Visakhapatnam are in such vessels while from New Mangalore and Paradip they are carried out in ships of Panamax vessels of upto 65. In section 6 and 7. we discuss the softer aspects of the shipping industry . due to draft restrictions. implying lack of opportunity for Indian shipowners.is around USD 5. trade and shipping . however. we establish the linkages between economy. While Indian shipowners have a considerable stake in this trade. Malaysia and Nigeria India imports around 40 million tonnes of crude and 20 million tonnes of products every year on a FOB basis. made by institutions like IMF and World Bank. In the subsequent section. Product imports are carried out chiefly in small vessels of around 30-40. basis. Iron ore exports are predominantly made on a f.5 million tonnes to Japan from Visakhapatnam and Paradip.Introduction In section 2. chiefly from Gulf. Important trade routes: Crude and product imports from Gulf.000 DWT. In section 3. In terms of volume.Research and Information Division 2 . Overseas Shipping Indian overseas trade has grown from 80 million tonnes in 1984-85 to 210 million tonnes in 1998-99. The four companies constitute nearly 70% of Indian shipping tonnage. we discuss the status of Shipping Finance in India. These vessels. India’s imports and exports constitute around 210 million tonnes while coastal trade accounts for another 40 million tonnes. we have discussed India’s trade pattern and dwelt over the problem of falling share of Indian shipowners in India’s merchandise trade. Essar and Varun. Shipping Corporation of India is the only major Indian player in iron ore transportation and carries around 0.o.at a global and local level. liberalization and relaxation of norms has allowed private-sector refineries to make their own shipping arrangements. constitute a small portion of the Indian fleet. an annualized growth rate of 6. These Handymax vessels are deployed on a triangular route to carry coking coal from Australia and then iron ore to Japan followed by ballast to Australia on return.8%. Indian shipowners chiefly deploy Suezmaxes from Gulf and Aframaxes from Malaysia. 70 per cent of which is directed toward Japan.000 dwt. Further.5 billion. Malaysia and Nigeria. Great Eastern.the seafarers & changing competitiveness of Indian seafarers and impact of Internet & e-commerce on shipping and how India can capitalize on the IT front.
Great Eastern. these vessels in this trade make more than 500 sailings. Because of lack of any major dry bulk cargo movement from the South to the East. USA. more than 60 per cent of the imports are routed through the East India ports. The firm along with its three Handymaxes. Shallow draft and geared vessels are presently preferred for the trade. on a one year time charter basis by way of open tender and in case of need. added to lack of proper regulatory support to coastal shipowners and lack of proper integration with road/ rail network. Fertilizer and fertilizer material India imports around 5 million tonnes of fertilizer and 3 million tonnes of rock phosphate and sulfur. Some of the important trade routes are as follows. Approximately 90% of the coastal movement in India is between the major ports. every year. mainly through Bombay. PSC has recently planned to charter foreign flag vessels in this route to meet the increased requirement. i-maritime . Thermal coal from Haldia and Visakhapatnam generally gets unloaded at Tuticorin. The responsibility of making necessary shipping arrangements is borne by Poompuhar Shipping Corporation (PSC). Tolani. Coastal shipping Against the fairly respectable growth witnessed in India’s overseas trade. its role has come down substantially over the past few years. coastal trade has remained quite stagnant and today accounts for around 40 million tonnes of cargo. Iron ore from Visakhapatnam and Paradip to JNPT and minor ports in Gujarat Around 3 million tonnes of iron ore move in Handymax vessels from the eastern ports to JNPT and Magdalla for shore-based steel plants of Ispat and Essar respectively. However. This. more vessels are also hired on a spot charter basis. at Ennore and Chennai ports. Maersk-Sealand and P&O-Nedlloyd offer services to Indian shippers. thermal coal and iron ore. chiefly in small size Handymax and Handysize vessels. these vessels return back ballast to the loading ports. products. With the commissioning of the Ennore port project. Only one Indian player. JNPT and Chennai. crude. hires around 10 vessels of similar size from Indian shipping companies like .Introduction Coking coal imports from Australia to Visakhapatnam. However. Indian shipowners. Essar and Varun Shipping. with the setting up of modern port equipment systems by South India Corporation (Agencies) Limited (SICAL). This is primarily because of the typical contours of our country which favors road-rail transport more than coastal shipping. most of the leading global container lines like NOL-APL. chiefly from Australia. Imports are made nearly at all the major ports of the country. While previously Transchart used to play a major role by making around 50 per cent of the shipping arrangements for fertilizer imports. Surrendra Overseas. Paradip and Vizag to Chennai and Tuticorin More than 14 million tonnes of thermal coal moves along the coast from Haldia. has a role in container shipping. led by SCI. while the same from Paradip gets unloaded at Chennai. Paradip and Visakhapatnam to Chennai and Tuticorin primarily to meet the fuel requirements of coal-fired power plants of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. by Handymax vessels for consumption by public sector steel majors like SAIL & RINL and Tata Steel. non-geared vessels might be opted for in the future. Better infrastructure facilities at ports such as JNPT. Western Europe and East Asia are the chief destinations through transshipment ports of Dubai. of which. Coking coal imports by Tata Steel are however made in Panamax size vessels of foreign flag. primarily because major portion of imports are carried out by private companies nowadays. Thermal coal from Haldia. Paradip and Haldia India imports around 10 million tonnes of coking coal.Research and Information Division 3 . chiefly comprising four bulk commodities viz. Overall. existing linkages are expected to change. Colombo and Singapore. have a share of 4 million tonnes. a government of Tamil Nadu undertaking. have led to prospects of future fertilizer imports being made in Panamax vessels to capitalize on economies of scale. Containers India exports and imports around 1 million TEU’s each. SCI. has led to present scenario of low coastal trade volumes.
share in general cargo and container shipping. Other companies who have used coastal shipping for movement of cement include L&T.Introduction Crude oil from Bombay to various major ports like Kandla. Total shipping bill on India’s overseas trade is estimated to be upward of US$ 5. Saurashtra Cements. Coastal movement of POL is around 10 million tonnes. is low. Crude originates from Bombay High oil fields of ONGC off Bombay and is chiefly bought by oil majors like IOC. Narmada Cement. albeit slightly better than last year. etc. i-maritime . is much lower – a meager 12% as estimated by us. and Chennai Coastal movement of crude oil is to the extent of 10 million tonnes while the above routes account for around 8 million tonnes. Indian shipping companies control around 60% of POL & other liquid trade and around 15% of dry bulk trade. The substantial difference in assessment of role of Indian shipping companies is as a result of a lower than average share in liner trade. Certain developments in the international shipping has resulted in our pessimism on possibility of Indian shipping companies increasing their role in Indian shipping industry. of the total overseas trade amounting to around 202 million tonnes. Indian shipping companies’ share in India’s overseas trade. while in container shipping the share is almost negligible. average freight rates is around US$ 25-35 per tonne while in container shipping the same could range from US$ 100 to US$ 500 per tonne. and this is estimated to fall further in the coming years. Cement Cement is another important commodity moving between various minor ports. This. accounting for around 31% of the total trade. is substantially below the 41% share in the beginning of the decade. where value of shipping services is much higher. The company has 3 port facilities in Western India and is also planning to build a jetty in southern state of Kerala.0 billion. where average freight rates are usually in the range of US$ 10-20 per tonne. which carry around 1 million tonnes of cement between the jetties in Western India. is also using coastal shipping for transporting cement between ports in Western India. Indian shipping companies have around 15% share. In general cargo trade. However. HPCL and BPCL for their shore-based refineries. in smaller 2.4. Gujarat Ambuja Cement was the first company to set-up bulk-handling facilities to transport cement by sea. The company owns five mini bulk carriers of 2. in value terms.000 dwt vessels.500 DWT. Cochin. In general cargo. Overseas trade – share of Indian shipping companies Indian shipping companies have a small share in India’s overseas trade. Indian shipping companies carried around 64 million tonnes. which has been taken over by L&T.Research and Information Division 4 . In FY1997-98.500 .
staged a strong Vshaped recovery. increased competitiveness of the currencies (as a result of depreciation) promoted exports. the Latin American countries are gradually stabilizing. for example. As industries relocate according to competitive advantage (for example shipbreaking . Openness further leads to increased investment by allowing domestic players access to capital goods that were unavailable previously or were available at too high a cost.9% this year. the stabilization policies and reform processes implemented in the crisis-hit countries have also been largely successful. FY1999-2000 with 1999. trade and shipping A strong interdependence exists between economic growth and trade.9% in the previous year. International trade economists have long established that a liberal and outward-oriented trade regime increases welfare and income through the following channels. developed economies grew by 3. Openness can affect both the level and the efficiency of investment and growth in several ways. The remarkable turnaround in economic conditions has been caused primarily by the strength of the US economy where burgeoning domestic demand provided a market for products of crisis hit countries.3% in 1997 to 1. thus openness leads to greater growth. Crude steel production. such rising consumption levels would lead to greater flow of goods to meet such demand. This led to renewed investments and hence economic growth. Rising income of people and investments by firms. A third channel for the impact of trade on growth is the government policy. Further. First an open trade regime can increase market size and hence lead to investment in industries with increasing returns that would not have been viable in a closed smaller market. + We use prefix “FY” to represent the financial year in Indian context. for the most part.2% in 1998 and expected to touch 5. If and to the extent that trade openness creates incentives to policy makers to pursue virtuous macroeconomic and regulatory policies.1% in 1999 against 2. World output growth. Fears of global recession of intensity equivalent to the Great Depression of 1930 proved unfounded and most developmental economists agree that the world is strongly back on the growth path. leading to accumulation of foreign exchange reserves and build up of investor’s confidence. we treat. Growth in developing countries increased to 3. grew by 1.4% in 1998. This in turn led to lower imports of raw materials and other goods.Economy. the impressive growth in United States is now the longest on record and the outlook has also improved for Europe. The second channel is “productivity channel”. In the recovery phase. which is just marginally below performance achieved in 1998. The Asian countries provide an example of such linkages between economic growth and trade. then it can lead to higher growth. The first channel for the impact of trade on growth is “investment”. Linkages between economy. Amongst developed countries.8% in 1999 from 3. Structural imbalances caused a meltdown in the economy leading to lower investments in infrastructure and industries. Overall.3% in 1999 and expected to grow by 0. trade and shipping Global economy The global economy has recovered strongly from economic meltdown that was triggered by the Asian crisis in the middle of 1997+ and spread to Brazil and Russia in 1998.4% in 2000.a relatively unskilled labor intensive activity shifted from developed countries to developing countries where unskilled labor are abundantly present). Japan grew by 0.6% in 1999. To carry out comparisons in i-maritime . st April and ends on 31st March.Research and Information Division 5 . lead to a greater demand for goods and services. trade and shipping Economy. which starts from 1 an international context. against a contraction of 2. an important indicator of economic performance. Finally.9% in 1998.1% in 1999 after a fall of 3. The emerging economies in Asia have. which fell from 3. To the extent that open trade regimes lead to greater exposure to world stock of productivity enhancing knowledge. is estimated to have accelerated to 2. the relatively easy monetary policies followed in Europe and Japan has led to acceleration in growth in the former and reversal of recessionary trend in latter.5% in 1998. Economic growth determines the level of competition and investment in an economy.
Given that the standing costs are high ship owners generally keep their ships in operation even if the freight rates are low. total tonnage required in moving the cargo but also the distance that the cargo needs to be moved. its value and the distance that it needs to be moved influence the size and the kind of vessel required. With the expectations of high returns. trade and shipping The world trade in goods determines the extent to which transportation is required. trade and shipping demand is strong but it is very difficult to fit them in simple and direct models. Trends like these take shape over a long period of time but have a strong influence on the shipping demand. When the demand is high the freight rates start to zoom up. The relation between the economy. The nature of the cargo. Decreasing returns lead to removal of the excess tonnage through ship scrapping. One of the major changes that have taken place in the world trade is the reducing share of coal and crude oil. the need for coal and crude oil has been increasing at a much lower pace. The demand is not only on the quantity of the service. These structural changes need to be studied in determining the shipping demand. This goods as its exports and thus an increased need for liner and container vessels for its exports. huge orders are placed to build up tonnage and the laid up tonnage is put into use. solar and nuclear energy. The demand for the shipping services is mainly dependent upon how much trade takes place between the various nations in the world. As the energy requirement is increasingly met by new sources like natural gas.e.Research and Information Division 6 . The tonnage build up leads to an oversupply of tonnage in the market thereby leading to a crash in the freight rates. The ships are kept in operation till the variable costs are recovered. The demand for new tonnage cannot be met overnight. the consumption pattern changes. This is typical of the shipping industry whose prospects keep on changing dramatically. trade and shipping tonnage shows how there is a lag between the shipping tonnage and world trade. i. The plot of the annual percentage changes of world output. which in turn determines the demand for shipping services. An economy with rapid industrialization will be having more manufactured and value added The world fleet development has a remarkable phase lag in comparison to the world trade. The time for building a new ship varies from one to two years. As different economies move from one phase of development to other. again depends on the existing order book of the shipyards worldwide and their capacities.Economy. The growth in the economy of the world may hide different aspects of the requirement of shipping. i-maritime . This shift in the world trade has affected the shipping demand for coal and crude oil.
which had a dampening effect on Capesize and Panamax vessels. the rise in oil prices represents a recovery from exceptionally weak prices in early 1999. All these have had favorable impact on dry bulk tonnage demand.9% in 1999 from 3. world trade in goods (excluding services) fell by only 0. and expected to cross the average levels of FY1997-98. which fell to a 25-year low. world trade has also shown signs of recovery. However. i-maritime . In 1997. trade and shipping The recovery in global activity has been accompanied by a more than tripling of oil prices since early 1999. Not withstanding the dramatic decline in oil prices. where prices touched historical lows in the beginning of 1999. the price rise is contributing to significant improvements in external balances and fiscal positions of oil ex-porters. also witnessed a fall in trade and thus negatively affected Handymax and Handysize vessels. much of the recovery could falter. Fall in steel production globally. Overall. many countries in the Middle East. Average Aframax and Suezmax freight rates in FY19992000 are touching 10-year highs and expected to continue to appreciate as demand for tonnage outstrips supply.Economy.Research and Information Division 7 . crude oil demand and hence trade also witnessed decline. Mini bulk commodities. led to lower iron ore and coking coal trade. With oil having become a less important factor in the world economy since the 1970s. including Russia. East Asia and some African countries. trade had grown by a record of 10%. Most economists are of the opinion that prices would eventually fall to more comfortable levels. especially steel products and cement. From 10-year lows in the beginning of the year. economic revival witnessed amongst various developing countries since beginning of 1999. However. although impact on shipping markets has been with a much greater lag than in dry bulk carrier market. The fall is chiefly due to the fall in commodity prices especially oil. To a large extent. Shipping cycles FY1998-99 represented a tough go for the dry bulk markets as freight rates touched 10-year low levels. which in turn has resulted in increased trade in iron ore and coking coal. Freight rates across tanker segments have increased in the last three months of FY1999-2000. has led to improvements in dry bulk trade and hence dry bulk shipping markets. the freight rates across nearly all dry bulk segments have touched new highs. A much more robust cycle is being observed in the tanker markets. increased trade in steam coal and grain provided some support.8% in 1998. In addition. In terms of value measured in US dollars. world trade growth accelerated to 4. the consequences of the recent price increase for oil importing countries are smaller than they would have been in the past. although in the unlikely state of this not happening. and this recovery has brought prices back closer to a long-term equilibrium. Global trade Concomitant to economic growth revival. the average freight rates in FY1999-2000 for every dry bulk segment are higher than the same in FY1998-99. mainly due to production curbs by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and several other oil producers. In volume terms. as greater industrial activity in developing countries and renewed investment in infrastructure projects have led to a greater demand for steel. Economic revival has seen increase in demand.8% against a fall of nearly 6% in the previous two years.
exports fell by 4% in 1998-99 while imports grew by less than 1%. In contrast. This trend is reflected in terms of volume of cargo handled by major ports. trade and shipping The following graphs show the freight rate movements in Handymax and Aframax vis-à-vis previous years. Indian scenario The Indian economy has shown fall in the growth from 6.9% from 4. the growth in GDP from the industrial sector accelerated to 6. which grew by 8% in FY1999-2000 against stagnation in the previous year. The fall mainly reflects a slow down in agricultural production after previous year’s bumper harvest.Economy. Thus. Both imports and exports measured in USD have grown by 8% in FY1999-2000.2%. buoyed by a revival of exports and the pick up in domestic demand. However. i-maritime .8% in FY1998-99 to 5. while services grew at last year’s level of 8.9% in FY1999-2000.0% in the previous year. activities in the industrial and services sector strengthened during the year.Research and Information Division 8 .
6 0.6 0.0) (6.22 per cent and imports at a compounded growth rate of 7.3 8.998 3.64 0.5 1.6 1999 33.1 (7.0 (2.8) (1.1 1.9) 8.6 (32.Research and Information Division 9 .7 7.62 per cent.9 4. remained sluggish in the current financial year with a marginal increase of 1. however increased at a compounded growth rate of 9.6 (11.80 1.00 1980-90 5. sea.5 (3.5 9.93 1960-70 1. trade and shipping The buoyancy is explained partly by the revival of world trade on the heels of the East Asian recovery and a modest recovery in some global commodity prices.0 41.6 3.2 2. Growth in imports is primarily due to rise in oil prices even though oil import volumes have not increased. These two regions accounted for nearly 54 percent of the trade in FY1998-99.497 (US $ billion) India’s share in world export (%) 1.8 percent in the corresponding period last year.8) (11.4 6. however.0) (5. With the current ongoing liberalization of Indian economy.2) (31.Economy.5) (11.2 0.9 1990 18 23.9 3.1 1980 8.8 33. Direction of Indian trade Countries Africa America Asia (excluding ME ) Middle East East Europe West Europe Oceanea Total (including other countries) (US $ billion) 1997-98 1998-99 Imports Exports Imports Exports 2.8 (20.5) (3.00 1970-80 19.9) (16.3 1970 2.2) (25.76 Source: i-maritime i-maritime .6) 1.1 percent in the nine months.2) 1.53 0. Low inflation in the domestic economy may have also strengthened the competitiveness of India’s exports in global markets.2) 4. The non-POL imports have. India’s share in world export is expected to accelerate in the years to come.4) (2.71 per cent during the period 1950-99.9 1.9) (28.00 0. as compared to an increase of 15.0 (21.0) Source : INSA (Figures in parentheses are percentages) A substantial portion of the total exports of India through all modes of transport viz.0 9.7 8.9) 13.5 35.6 14.0) (2.07 9.0 2.6) (24.5) (23.0) (100.8 1.87 0.0) (100.43 0.1 1.4 9.8 4. air and land appears to be with the West European countries followed by America.0) (100.1 1960 1. The world exports during this period.59 1990-99 6.8) (1.3 2.6 (100.7) (27.30 11.6) (1.6 13.4) (22.9 Source: Indian Economic Survey. Indian share in world exports Year Exports Imports World export 61 130 314 1.6) (3. The growth rates were the maximum during the decade 1970-80.5) 9.9) (9.6 41. 1999-00 Indian exports increased at a compounded growth rate of 7.393 5.4) 41. India’s trade and shipping tonnage (percentage) Period Growth in trade Growth in tonnage 1950-60 5.04 8.61 1950 1.6) (28.4 10.85 1.
5 5.0 n.2 1.a.China .2 3.:not available 1991-98 1998 2. -2.a.6% in 2000 and 1. driven again by the developing nations worldover. Similar forecasts have been made on the trade front.1 6.1 4. world trade in goods is expected to grow at a much lower 0.a. IMF expects Indian economy to grow strongly at above 6% in the next two years.a.a.a.a.a. 3.6 3.6 4.a.8 2.9 2. trade and shipping As in international scenario. n.0 n.Research and Information Division 10 .7 n. 4.Japan Developing economies .a. n. n. n. 4.5 4.a. measured in US Dollars. i-maritime . n.8 4. 7.0 n.0 4. are expected to accelerate to nearly 8% this year and 7.0 n. 7.a.2 4.7 7.6% in 2001. n.United States . n.a.6 3.a.5 1999 2.2% in 2001.a.a.3 2.3 2. there exists a relationship between growth in Indian shipping tonnage and the country’s trade.9 1.6 n.5 As the above table shows.3 2. and International Monetary Fund.a.9 2.2000. The following table highlights the growth forecasts made by World Bank.a. In terms of US Dollars.a.0 6.4% and 7.India .3 n.a.European Union . -9. in the report World Economic Outlook . Forecasts of growth in global GDP (percentage) World Bank forecasts IMF forecasts 2000 2001 1999-2008 2000 2001 2. 0.5 2. trade in both goods and services. n.5 n.5 3.a. n.May 2000. 4.5 1. 4.3 n.a.a. n.7 n.3 0.a. 2. World Bank had forecasted that the entire South Asian region is expected to grow by 5.9 2.ASEAN n.3 6. in the report Global Economic Forecasts . Global economic and trade prospects Economists expect strong growth in global economy in the next one decade.2% in the next 1 decade.1 n.a.Economy. World trade in goods.4 World output Advanced economies .a. n. However.4 5. measured in volume terms is expected to grow by 8.2 2.: not available n.0% in 2000 and 2001 respectively.8 n.4 3. n.2 3. 6.6 2.8 3.
0 36.6 2. Including vessels flying the national flag but registered in territorial dependencies or associated self-governing territories.3 1.9 1.0 54.792 9.198 314 2.290 11.9 69. c.9 43.2 11.6 100.8 67.0 38.452 13.000 GRT and above.0 15.6 1. London and Piraeus.5 599 1.2 60.1 7.3 7.6 167 313 480 7.0 a. for instance.6 12.153 42.4 2. this has required certain judgements to be made.6 10.5 434 56 490 8.2 75.193 1.7 454 286 740 11.0 57.353 3.7 2.1 13. Size of fleet On basis of beneficial ownership.9 50.5 12.7 13.5 1.3 3.7 451 134 585 7.4 4. in terms of the parent company.2 23 136 159 0.8 100.4 38. 1998 a) Country or territory of b domicile Greece Japan Norway United States China Hong Kong (China) Germany Republic of Korea Sweden United Kingdom Singapore Taiwan Province of China Russian Federation Denmark India Italy Saudi Arabia Turkey Brazil Belgium Total (20 countries) Percentage World total Percentage Source: UNCTAD Number of vessels Deadweight tonnage (million tonnes) National Foreign National Foreign Foreign flag as Total as %age c Total Total flag flag flag flag %age of total of world total 800 2.5 1.3 4.2 7.107 2.1 2.2 25.7 5. India’s rank has been hovering around this position for the last one decade.8 87.8 26.1 11. i-maritime .961 19.0 16.1 46. Greece is shown as the country of domicile with respect to vessels owned by a Greek owner with representative offices in New York.7 1.7 2.6 75.241 29. India is ranked fifteenth in terms of shipping tonnage (deadweight tonnage) under control. The 20 most important maritime countries/territories (as on December 31.7 51.7 436 428 864 7.064 22.512 9.1 2.8 79.5 159 244 403 1.1 25.3 6.5 2.7 59 67 126 1.2 71. For the United Kingdom.1 13.4 60.6 7.8 93. excluding the United States Reserve Fleet and the United States and Canada Great Lakes fleets.9 100.0 10. although the owner may be domiciled in the United States. The country of domicile indicates where the controlling interest of the fleet is located.0 39.6 82.6 63.1 129.7 1.1 63.2 90. Vessels of 1.0 7.8 19.1 12.7 9.3 34.9 388 457 845 6. British flag vessels are included under the national flag.1 893 732 1.028 10. In several cases.6 1.963 222.4 45.6 29.2 393.6 7.3 42.6 27.3 171 24 195 6.0 1.1 7.8 19.1 18.0 41.9 84.1 17. b.0 65.8 100.8 100.5 472 818 1.3 441.3 106 467 573 5.Profile of Indian shipping tonnage Profile of Indian shipping tonnage Under this section we have studied various structural parameters of Indian shipping industry.9 363 66 429 10.4 18.Research and Information Division 11 .2 409 268 677 6.935 21.6 94.4 615.3 19.1 725.4 44.8 3.625 29.5 8.693 284. Thus.2 49.6 0.5 20.9 32.7 98.592 472 2.4 17.0 55.9 854 2.0 16.
represented tremendous achievement for the Indian shipping industry in building up a large merchant fleet.99 192 7. We believe that meeting the planned targets in the next 2 years is quite difficult.2 7. absence of a well settled policy framework and financial & foreign exchange constraints. very small shipping tonnage at the time of independence. By April 2000 the total fleet strength stood at around 7.679 1980 . However. trade and shipping and favorable government support.1 million GRT.1 10. led to gradual stagnation in the Indian shipping industry since 1980s. i-maritime .62 per cent.0 1. the period represented low levels of tonnage acquisition and hence classed as an era of slow growth. The ninth plan (April 1997 to April 2002) envisages increase in the total Indian fleet strength from 6.9 million GRT to 9 million GRT.7 million GRT.053 1947 . even though it had supported the growth in the earlier era and a natural phenomenon of cyclical boom and bust witnessed in all industrial and business sectors. The growth pattern since independence can be divided into three eras: § Era of slow growth (1947 to1960) § Era of rapid expansion (1960 to 1985) § Era of decline and stagnation (1985 to till date) GRT ('000s tonnes) Beginning End 1947 .60 192 844 1960 .Research and Information Division 12 .5 million GRT and replacement of 1.053 Source: i-maritime Period Annualized growth (%) 12.0 million GRT representing a growth rate of 3. The annualized growth is highest in this period because of a low base i.19 million in 1947 to 7. the second era especially the period between 1965 to 1980.51 million GRT to 532. a regulatory framework in India that increasingly proved to be restrictive enough.2 In the first two decades after independence. led to slow growth in Indian shipping tonnage.Profile of Indian shipping tonnage Historical growth of Indian fleet The gross Indian tonnage has increased from 0. the nascent state of industrialism in India.679 7.80 844 5.2 per cent.05 million in 1999 representing an annual growth rate of 7. The growth was assisted by liberal financial support by SDFC.e. in absolute terms. However.99 5. In the same period world fleet grew from 83. Crisis at a global level triggered by OPEC oil price hike. buoyancy in global economy.. This represents total additional acquisition of 2.
Privatization of the oil sector and import on FOB basis by such large oil refineries as Reliance (almost 30 million tonnes of crude import per year) will eventually lead to fall in India shipping companies’ share in this trade.3 0.9 1990-91 12. In fact POL.2 34. Indian shipping has grown at an annualized rate higher than average world tonnage.1 3.Profile of Indian shipping tonnage Conditions have been further aggravated by poor market conditions and the gradual withdrawal of government support since the initiation of liberalization process in 1990’s. A small happy note in a long sad story? Source: Maritime Monitor. Such fears are justified and we believe something needs to be done. This fleet considers vessels of 150 GRT and above. As a corollary. in 4 of the 5 decades since independence. from 0. down and gone? It has been repeated ad infinitum about the dismal state of Indian shipping.1 55.4 4.4 14. Only in the last 7 years.8 35.1 1. So even while it is expected that India would become a major LNG importer in the next few years. Annualized growth rate (%) 1950-60 1960-70 1970-80 1980-90 1990-97 1950-97 Indian fleet World Fleet 7.Research and Information Division 13 .8 Source: INSA Year The above table justifies such fears. Sept 1-15 1999 The following table represents global & Indian ships of 100 GRT and above.9 0. around 5-7% of Indian shipping tonnage is involved in cross trading. how the growth in India tonnage has been slow in the past and stagnated of late. the former has grown at an annualized rate of 6.0 6.3 29.5 53. not much optimism exists amongst Indian shipping companies to be able to capitalize on this development.8 9. Issue 9. where Indian shipping companies have more than 55% share is all set to decrease. As the above graph shows.8 1996-97 9. something that does not get reflected in the table.6 24. Percentage share of Indian ships in India’s overseas trade General Dry bulk POL Total cargo cargo 1985-86 20. Further.8 16.1% while the latter has grown at less than 4%. we would refer to the Indian shipping profile as registered under M. In our subsequent analysis of the Indian fleet.4 10.0 3. Indian shipping .4 6.5% in 1950 to 1.2 61. Further many vessels in the above category are registered under Inland Vessels Act and Coasting Vessels Act and hence are not reflected in our analysis. However. Indian tonnage (measured in terms of GRT) as a percentage of world tonnage.down. Further.7 22.5 1995-96 10.8 5. we would like to present the story of India’s performance in shipping with a slightly different viewpoint. how the nation’s overseas cargo is shipped in non-domestic vessels.8 75.3 27. S. Indian tonnage has grown at a rate higher than the world tonnage in the same period. has the growth in latter overtaken Indian shipping growth rate. 1958. albeit since then the ratio has again started falling.9 As the above table shows. has steadily increased since the time of independence. Similar is the case with LNG where the prohibitive capital costs have deterred any major Indian presence. Act. in the entire sample period of 47 years. i-maritime .7% in 1987.
The industry is segmented into three segments for our analysis namely: § Overseas § Coastal Cargo carrying Non-cargo carrying (includes OSVs) § Bare Boat Charter cum Demise (BBCD) We have carried out following analysis in this section to assess the strengths and weaknesses of Indian shipping: § § § § Overseas Vessel size analysis Age analysis Ownership profile analysis Shipyard analysis on the basis of built of vessels The biggest chunk of the total Indian fleet tonnage is the overseas segment consisting of 241 vessels of total cargo carrying capacity of 10.59 2. 0 0 n.a.058 3. The change in the structure of the overseas fleet in the last two decades is reflected in the following table. specialized or multipurpose vessels.99 0.a.232 35 2.713 Type of vessel Dry cargo liners Dry cargo bulk carriers Tankers .83 41.026 n. bulk carriers.87 28.1998) Category Oil tanker Bulk carrier General cargo Container ship Other types Total Source: UNCTAD World Indian Gross tonnage Gross tonnage % of total % of total (million tonnes) (million tonnes) 152.04 534. n.a.a. 1980 No. 4 49 n.00 Segments The Indian shipping industry with over 100 private and public sector companies has a well diversified merchant fleet of tankers. offshore supply vessels (OSVs) and coastal vessels. 16 815 n. n.Product OBO carriers Cellular containers Passenger cum cargo Timber carriers LPG carriers Acid carriers Total Source: D.a.08 1.a.16 14.a.49 53.7 million DWT and constituting around 90 per cent of total Indian tonnage. n. n.59 156.51 7.371 10.a. 325 5.453 4.00 6.40 9.82 12.56 91.56 37.a.17 80.980 5. 22 1.Profile of Indian shipping tonnage Comparison between world and Indian fleet (as on December 31. (‘000 tonnes) December 31.81 100.98 29. n.493 n.36 2.a.a.a.a. 113 2. i-maritime .146 77 2.523 3 171 312 10 138 180 1 8 9 2 7 13 6 119 138 7 110 159 241 6.Crude . 0 0 n. Shipping n.99 0.709 42 922 1. container ships. 0 0 n.a.426 n. GRT DWT 170 1.06 0.Research and Information Division 14 . G.22 17. 1999 No.a.a.a.63 100. : not available December 31. 0 0 n. n.043 n. GRT DWT 31 385 524 104 2.
We expect the product tanker fleet to fall. The total refining capacity is set to cross over 100 million tonnes. Coastal The coastal fleet in India consists of 269 vessels of only 0. Total number of tankers increased from 22 vessels to 77. Public sector giant Concor has made massive investments in inland container depots. and inadequate port infrastructure. Product imports are expected to become negligible. Kochi. § § Increased crude oil shipments. Further it encourages registration of the LNG vessel under the Indian flag. Indian shipping appears to have mainly emphasized on consolidation. § § Increasing containerization of general cargo exports from India. This number is expected to fall further with SCI. The project for carriage of LNG for Enron’s Dhabol power plant has gone to a overseas company in which SCI holds 20 per cent stake. 30 billion have already come in or are expected to in the near future.20 per cent of the entire Indian fleet. In most of the major ports container-handling terminals have been privatized and investments to the tune of Rs. i-maritime .98 million. Recent LNG policy by the government calls for a minimum of 26 per cent shareholding by an Indian company for any venture carrying LNG to India. LNG terminals are being established in various locations like Dahej. Massive addition of refining capacity in the country will force a significant change in the oil products trade. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) shipping is destined to be one of the most lucrative businesses in the future.38 million GRT in 1999.02 million to 2. The public sector oil companies have also made substantial expansions in their existing capacities. Indian shipping companies have immense opportunities because of the above trend. Hence the vessel won’t be reflected in Indian shipping fleet. The fleet has grown from 0.5 million GRT in 1980 to 31 vessels of only 0. During this period. Ennore. All this is expected to make India a net exporter of refined products. Tanker tonnage has shown significant growth in the last two decades. Container traffic is expected to grow significantly in the future as a result of the following factors. However shipments would be in larger sized vessels as oil companies strive to capitalize on the economies of scale. The total consumption of refined products was around 89 million tonnes in 1999 which. Factor responsible is the gradual containerization of general cargo. India is expected to become a major importer of LNG in the next 2 to 3 years. the largest general cargo fleet operator. The present condition of the coastal fleet (small and aged fleet) reflects the low level of coastal trade in the country. Pipavav etc.Research and Information Division 15 . while in terms of GRT. an annualized growth rate of 3. In the dry bulk cargo fleet there has been a stagnation both in terms of the number of vessels as well as the gross tonnage. The opening of the sector to private players is expected to only improve the dry port network in the country. timber carriers and edible oil tankers. Dhabol. the increase was from 1. even after increased consumption. The increased refining capacity is expected to lead to the following changes. modernization and acquisition of specialized ship like acid carriers.57 per cent against a growth rate of 7. deciding to gradually exit from the trade due to lower profitability.Profile of Indian shipping tonnage The most significant change is the fall in dry cargo liners from 170 vessels representing 1. This is due to competition from roads and railways.68 million GRT. Investments in container handling facilities in the country.11 million GRT at the time of independence. is expected to leave a surplus. The opening up of the sector to private sector operators has seen the commissioning of the 27 million tonnes Jamnagar refinery of Reliance.
GRT 40 21 13 2 11 3 1 12 90 68 33 101 191 31 236 146 55 91 9 4 59 485 75 85 160 645 Bare Boat Charter cum Demise (BBCD) BBCD is a form of lease financing where vessels are under the command of Indian shipowners (charterer) without ownership rights.1999) (‘000 tonnes) st December 31 .08 0. the vessels are not registered under M. G.19 139. Act and do not fly the Indian flag.11 1. 1999 No. i-maritime August 1993 No.Profile of Indian shipping tonnage Composition of coastal fleet (as on December 31.99 2. GRT DWT 49 12 13 2 11 3 1 11 89 61 11 13 68 27 180 269 54 194 130 50 80 9 1 66 454 19 2 55 73 77 226 680 84 306 214 82 132 7 1 28 640 3 0 0 81 57 142 782 Type of vessels Cargo carrying vessels: Dry cargo Dry bulk cargo carrier Tankers Crude oil carriers Product carriers Ethylene gas RO-RO Timber carriers Passenger-cum-cargo Total (cargo) Non-cargo carrying vessels: Tug Passenger service Dredger OSV's SOSV's Total (non-cargo) Total coastal Source: D. G. In the charter period.5 16. The system was introduced to aid Indian shipowners to acquire new tonnage by distributing financial outgo over a period of time.0 16.11 141. S. Further.4 i-maritime .9 22. At the end of the contract the vessel ownership passes to the Indian shipowner against a certain balloon payment. Shipping. 1999) Vessels Cargo carrying vessels: Dry bulk Tanker Total (cargo carrying vessels) Non-cargo carrying vessels: Tug OSV's Total (non-cargo carrying vessels) Total (cargo and non-cargo carrying vessels) Source : D. This route has been used by foreign shipowners setting up subsidiaries in India leading to the present controversy.1 9. the charterer is responsible for the operation of the ship and pays a certain lease installment to the vessel owner.89 21. Shipping 16 4 20 1 2 3 23 GRT ('000) 117.3 7. BBCD Vessels (as on December 31st. However off late the system has drawn flak from various sections of the maritime industry.0 9.19 Average age (years) 6. BBCD vessels can be deployed in coastal trade and enjoy government cargo support without having to comply with stringent regulatory norms under Indian flag.Research and Information Division 16 .
The entire process has been expedited as a result of pressure from the exporters and importers demanding lower transportation costs.9 - Type of vessels Dry cargo Liner Dry bulk cargo carrier Tanker (crude oil) Tanker (product carrier) Passenger-cum-cargo Timber carrier Cellular container Ore Oil bulk carrier Acid carrier LPG carrier RO-RO Source: i-maritime Overseas 16. New upcoming ports in the private sector like Dhamra. Modern equipments are capable of faster loading and unloading of cargo. The lower size had been the result of inadequate infrastructure at ports. Act. i-maritime .9 36.0 680.0 146.0 782.0 142. G.Profile of Indian shipping tonnage Aggregate profile (as on December 31st. Indian shipowners have yet to effectively respond to this new challenge.9 39. Huge investments have been made in augmenting port infrastructure in India. 1999) Segment Overseas Coastal cargo carrier non-cargo carriers BBCD Total Source: D. Shipping No.713.740. cost and quality of ships built in these shipyards have been very good. This is because the delivery schedule. can handle very large vessels. Similarly.8 DWT ('000 tonnes) 10.0 2. S. All this is expected to change in the near future.0 226.8 million GRT. The crude tanker fleet. which is one of the largest segments of Indian fleet.5 Vessel size analysis (‘000 DWT) BBCD 3. The presence of cheap steel industry and labour skills in these countries have been the major reasons for their having a vibrant ship building industry. South Korea and Japan are the major ship builders contributing to the gross tonnage.373.7 14.8 7.0 - Coastal 1. Built of Indian fleet The foreign shipyards have contributed largely to the Indian fleet.8 105. Europe.0 454.9 22.0 640. which has a strong ship building tradition. lower parcel size of imports & exports and overall lack of competition due to restrictive covenants under M. is largely build by the South Korean yards.4 The average vessel size of Indian fleet is much below international standards leading to higher transportation costs and hence lower competitiveness of Indian exports and higher costs of domestic production dependent on imported raw materials. The foreign built ships total 5. New regulatory norms have led to reduced cargo support for Indian shipowners. of vessels 241 269 89 180 23 533 GRT ('000 tonnes) 6. Capital requirement for replacement of smaller tonnage with larger ones is huge and probably beyond the appetite of domestic equity and debt market.5 1. a large number of single buoy mooring (SBMs) installed along the coastline of India have paved the way for import of crude by VLCC’s.1 12.9 103.5 11.0 245. Thus Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal (NSICT) can today handle large sized container vessels. Thus Reliance imports crude through VLCC’s hired from foreign shipowners .3 17.7 23.5 41.8 6.a lost opportunity for Indian shipping companies. They constitute nearly 82 percent of the total Indian gross tonnage. The general cargo vessels have been built mostly in Europe. is the other major source of ships. The government also provides substantial incentives and subsidies to the ship building industry in these countries.7 25.Research and Information Division 17 .199.3 8.
The three major foreign shipyards where in Indian merchant vessels are built are Hyundai Heavy Industries Company Limited at South Korea. of vessels GRT contributed % of total GRT 58 44 102 69 104 111 77 361 47 510 11 9 20 14 20 22 15 71 9 100 705.052. which is only 11 percent of the gross tonnage.598 363. 1999) No. The three major Indian public sector shipbuilding yards from where Indian ship owners have acquired vessels are Cochin Shipyard Limited at Cochin. The Indian shipyards have built various types of vessels but the major contribution has been to the non-cargo carrying vessels. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited at Japan and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Machinery Limited at South Korea. of vessels % of total no.015.443 10 1 11 29 29 20 5 82 7 100 The share of the Indian shipyards has been very low. as the Indian shipyards have not been able to compete with the foreign shipyards.824 749.409. The Indian built ships total to 0.832 7.008 5.078 488.329 1.Research and Information Division 18 .533 2. Bharati Shipyard and ABG Shipyard. Hindustan Shipyard Limited at Visakhapatnam and Mazagon Dock Limited at Bombay while the three prominent private sector shipbuilding yards are Magdala Shipyard.143 2. i-maritime .814.709 43.026. The private sector shipyards in India have mainly built tugs and dry cargo vessels.7 million GRT.Profile of Indian shipping tonnage Percentage contribution by India / foreign shipyards Built in Yard Indian: Public sector Private sector Sub-Total Foreign: South Korea Japan Europe Others Sub-Total Data not available Total Source: i-maritime (as on December 31.
6 10. the Shipping Corporation of India owns a total tonnage which is a little more than 3 million GRT. A major consolidation is long overdue in the Indian shipping industry.2 0. The presence of such a large number of companies with few vessels is a marked characteristic of the Indian shipping industry. Shipping Corporation of India has the largest chunk.1 0. own fleet of above 10 million DWT.Private sector Foreign: Data not available Total Source: i-maritime The Indian gross tonnage has a substantial amount of second and third hand tonnage vessels. Given the heavy expenditure required in the industry the government has to play a major role in developing the sector. South Korea Others Sub-Total % share in total GRT 5. chiefly through the public sector enterprise. of % of total GRT vessels 46 53 15 15 15 25 24 7 100 100 Ownership pattern of Indian fleet Nearly 50 percent of Indian shipping tonnage is under the command of the Government of India. Sanmar and India Cements have substantial shipping tonnage but lately have had plans to separate and sell off their shipping division.Public sector Shipyard Cochin Shipyard Limited.9 100. The small sizes of vessels also don’t help in taking advantage of the economies of scale. It is now easier for the companies to outsource their i-maritime . Percentage of new/second hand vessels (as on December 31.7 0.1 0. This makes the revenues of the small companies susceptible to the vagaries of the shipping industry cycle. Visakhapatnam Mazagon Dock Limited. Bombay Others Sub-Total Magdala Shipyard Bharati Shipyard ABG Heavy Industries Others Sub-Total Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. This is typical of the Indian scenario where the government plays a major role in various business sectors. L&T used to own ships.2 3.3 6.2 0. it owns 44 percent of the total Indian tonnage. Eleven companies share over 80 percent of the total tonnage in GRT.2 5. South Korea Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited. Limited. but it has sold off its division as its small number of ships were proving to be a costly affair for it to maintain.0 .0 0. COSCO. Vela International. Shipping is also of strategic importance to the country with its vast coastline and thus it is important that the country should have a substantial amount of tonnage. The first hand tonnage consist of 53 percent of the total GRT.Profile of Indian shipping tonnage Percentage contribution towards gross tonnage by major shipyards (as on December 31.6 17. Of this.5 0. This distribution is in the light that there are more than 100 companies owning ships in India. SCI is the only company with a fleet size of international standards. Some of the world’s largest shipowners like Mitsui OSK.equal to the size of the entire Indian fleet.Research and Information Division 19 . Japan Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Machinery Limited. The risk of these companies is very high as their revenue sources are not diversified. Nippon Yusen etc. Shipping Corporation of India.7 53. 1999) Country India: . 1999) Purchase First hand (New) Second hand Third hand or more Data not available Total Source: i-maritime % of total no. World-wide. Cochin Hindustan Shipyard Limited. Companies whose core competence is not shipping are planning to divest their shipping divisions.2 82.4 6.
to core competency. Shell. Advantages of sticking to the core competency. fuelled by funds injected by cash-rich IOC. for a long time period. Reliance and Gujarat Ambuja have reaped benefits from their shipping operations. Thus hiving off of the shipping division into a separate company would lead the subsidiary qualifying for tax exemption under Section 33AC. Sanmar Group. The debate on diversification and sticking to core competency apart. . On the other hand. the situation provides an opportunity for Indian shipping to grow rapidly. Presently. should deter a shipper entering into shipping. In India. L&T. and has stayed on till date. Should the user companies enter shipping. it is quite interesting to see Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) looking for opportunities in the shipping of crude oil and final products instead of contracting it out to the other ship owners. In the current project. the company is planning to tieup with SCI. IOC had been offered a 10% stake in Shipping Corporation of India. companies like IOC and Rashtriya Chemicals Fertilizers are deliberating whether to acquire tonnage for carriage of raw material and finished products. required as a result of their core activities of oil refining and fertilizer production respectively. Many of the disadvantages invovled in entering shipping could be overcome to a large extent. If the shipper’s shipping requirements are large enough to involve the services of the ship full year round. Reliance Industries and SPIC have made forays into shipping in the past either for in-house requirements or for commercial purposes.Research and Information Division 20 The question is similar to asking whether SCI should enter oil refining or just concentrate on shipping of crude oil and final produce of an oil refinery. Many of them have subsequently exited or looking for opportunities to exit as they have failed to operate successfully. Chevron and other oil majors together control around 8 -10% of the world tanker tonnage. which has the largest tanker tonnage in the country. In such a scenario. One can list a number of pros and cons while answering the original question. though the proposal could not take any concrete shape. April 1-30 2000 i-maritime . Gujarat Ambuja. Distribution of Tonnage (GRT) Who should transport goods by sea – shipping industry or the shipper? This question has been raised in numerous occasions over the last few years as the model of growth and value creation changed from diversification to concentration on core competency. Issue 23 & 24. BP-Amoco. sticking to the business that you know best while outsourcing other activities.Profile of Indian shipping tonnage shipping requirements. In contrast. then the shipper need not be worried about factors like profits & losses from asset play or risk of freight rate fluctuations – two factors that concern a shipowner most. Most of the world’s oil majors are also the largest ship owners – Esso-Mobil. possibility of having a greater control over logistics and higher certainty in decision making should encourage him to take charge of shipping. inability to avail of benefits under such tax regulations like Section 33AC. or outsource it to the shipowners? Source: Maritime Monitor. but forward integration has produced as many success stories as failures. A company needs to weigh all the above factors while reaching a decision on whether to enter shipping or not. Technical and personnel management of the ship could be further outsourced to shipmanagers. lack of understanding of key variables in shipping. The phenomenon is not very new. In the 70s and early 80s companies diversified across industries and along the value chain (forward and backward integration) in which they were operating. There is no standardized answer for this. The proposal may look strange. user companies like India Cements. Subsequently the novelty shifted. etc. This becomes increasingly relevant in a scenario where traditional avenues of finance like capital markets are difficult to access as far as shipping companies are concerned while growth in crude oil imports is rising rapidly with the commissioning of various refineries.
(as on December 31, 1999) Type of vessels Overseas Dry cargo Liner Dry bulk cargo carrier Tanker (crude oil) Tanker (product carrier) Passenger-cum-cargo Cellular container Ore Oil bulk carrier Acid carrier LPG carrier Total (overseas) Coastal Cargo carrying vessels: Dry cargo Dry bulk cargo carrier Tanker (crude oil) Tanker (product carrier) Passenger-cum-cargo Ethylene gas RO-RO Total (cargo) Non-cargo carrying vessels: Tug Passenger service Dredger OSV's SOSV's Total (non-cargo carrying vessels) Total (coastal) Total (overseas & coastal) Under 5 years 4.4 5.4 14.1 5.5 5 to 9 years 8.6 45.0 10.5 47.8 73.4 29.9 22.2 10 to 14 years 2.9 28.7 2.5 3.0 12.5 15 to 19 years 22.9 36.2 22.2 56.6 45.4 22.1 10.6 32.4 20 years and above 74.2 22.1 24.9 15.8 100.0 6.8 77.9 16.0 70.1 27.4 Average age (in years, weighted as per GRT) 20.7 15.6 13.5 14.6 29.0 12.7 21.1 11.5 19.3 15.2
17.1 1.0 21.5 5.6 23.2 14.6 3.0 0.2 6.6 5.9 5.5
29.6 2.9 21.4 100.0 9.8 18.6 30.6 11.5 6.5 6.7 8.8 20.9
5.6 28.9 2.0 21.4 16.5 14.8 53.7 20.7 25.2 26.9 24.1 19.0 13.1
24.2 14.4 100.0 5.3 15.5 100.0 23.5 19.8 9.2 62.0 65.1 46.1 31.0 32.3
23.5 52.8 92.7 20.2 44.6 23.5 15.7 43.9 3.3 7.8 16.6 35.3 28.2
13.2 21.4 18.5 25.0 13.0 9.0 17.0 19.2 13.5 10.8 15.7 14.5 16.5 15.4 17.9 15.5
Age and quality – are they related?
be reduced to 20mm by using HT steel. The weight saving - which might Is it always the case that an aged ship is necessarily of lower quality amount to several thousand tonnes - cuts building costs and also enables than a newer ship. As per opinion expressed in Concordia Martime’s the ship to carry more cargo. However, for these savings a price has to Annual Report, 1998, age is a flawed principle to gauge the quality of be paid. Firstly, HT steel corrodes just as quickly as mild steel. Since tonnage. In an IMO paper “IMO and the safety of bulk carriers”, it is held that HT plates are thinner than those of mild steel, corrosion is likely to reach “…there is a clear link between accidents and the age of bulk carriers…”. the danger point more quickly. The main reason why age is so relevant to shipping casualties is that A second problem is that “…HTS built ships are more prone to structural problems caused by the way in which load is transmitted through the corrosion and general fatigue increase, as ships grow older. This is partly ships’ structural components and the inter-dependency of the structural because of the stresses to which the ship is inevitably subjected by routine operations, cargo handling, weather and waves and partly to the response…”. A young HT steel-built ship is more prone to accident than older mild steel built ship. effect of seawater on steel. Various statistics corroborate the above by showing a high correlation between age and accidents. In another research publication (“An analysis of Maritime Transportation However, there are a few notable exceptions to the above rule. A wellRisk Factors” by Harilaos N. Psaraftis, et al, of the National Technical maintained 20-year-old ship is of a much better quality than a badly University of Athens, Greece), it was held that it is “…almost certain that maintained newer ship. Concordia Maritime prides on its fleet of wellthe age of a vessel influences her probability of being involved in an maintained, though old ships. In India, Great Eastern is known to follow accident…”. The researchers also found that the most accident prone a rigorous maintenance policy. Further, the ships of 1970’s were built age group is in fact 15-19 and beyond that age the probability of accidents with higher fatigue and corrosion margins. Hence the older sailing ships reduces. Reasons cited for the same are: built in early 1970’s are of better quality and reliability than those built in The structural and mechanical deficiencies of a ship generally late 1970’s because of reduced scantlings and structural margins in the • surfaces by the time she reaches her 19th year of age. In the same latter. The third instance where a younger ship is more prone to accidents spirit, there are good chances that, for financial reasons, than older is ships arises as a result of change in steel used for problematic vessels would have to be scrapped when time is up construction of ships. The majority of ships operating today are built of for the fourth survey. mild steel. However, since the early-1980s increasing use has been made of high- • The excessive use of high tensile steel for vessel construction tensile (HT) steel, especially in the construction of bulk carriers. As per during the early eighties also contributed to risk peaking at the 15IMO, HT steel has been used in shipbuilding since 1907 but its recent 19 group. popularity is due to the fact that plates can be thinner without losing any strength. Whereas a normal side plate will be 24-29mm thick, this can Source :Maritime Monitor, Issue 11, Oct. 1-31,1999 i-maritime - Research and Information Division 22
As the above table shows, a substantial portion of Indian crude and products tonnage is expected to reach 25 years in near future. Higher age of fleet has implications in form of greater operating expenses, lower charter rates, greater risks of accidents etc. Research has established a strong correlationship between age and accidents. All these are expected to negatively affect Indian fleet’s competitiveness.
Indian fleet has stagnated in the past two decades after showing impressive growth in 1960s and 1970s. While the past growth was fuelled largely through government aid in form of cargo and financial support, future growth has to come entirely from market forces. Past port infrastructural facilities, lower parcel sizes of imports and exports and lack of demand from shippers for greater cost efficiency has led to small vessels constituting a substantial portion of Indian tonnage. In the past 5-6 years, these factors have largely disappeared, being replaced by demand for larger ships. Indian shipowners have yet to effectively respond to the new market forces. A substantial number of vessels are owned by companies with only one or two ships. We expect considerable consolidation in near future and emergence of only a few large players - a phenomenon witnessed globally in many industries like automobiles, cement, etc. While in terms of average figures, Indian fleet is relatively younger than world fleet, a more detailed analysis reveals that a substantial portion of tonnage needs to be immediately replaced to retain existing levels of competitiveness.
etc. ship owners and seaman. which was within the domain of the SDFC. The board consists of six members elected by the Parliament. NKK of Japan and American Bureau of Shipping could issue International Load Line certificates to Indian flag vessels. The government feels that Indian Shipowners could get IRS services at a much lower rate than those charged by foreign societies. However. This body was assigned the function of sanctioning approvals to applications for acquisition of ships. Approvals given by the SALC for acquisitions were supposed to be related to this demand and supply balance. The Central Government may appoint to the board other members to represent Central Government. In order to maintain acceptable standards and provide world-wide coverage for its services. these ships are also classified under a foreign classification society. With the liberalization in respect of sale and chartering out of the Indian flag vessels. we believe that the government must leave the industry free to choose whichever agency it wants to for load line surveys. No separate import license was required for purchase of a ship from abroad by any company. because ships acquired for the national fleet can freely be sold or chartered out. and were to be processed directly by the MOST with the Public Investment Board (PIB) and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). The situation that developed in 1991-92 necessitated a series of policy relaxation/ reforms. IRS is still not a member of International Association of Classification Societies and hence enjoys lower acceptability. supposed to be accorded by the SALC to keep the supply demand equation. have to go to the open market and compete with other companies requiring foreign exchange for financing their capital imports. most of the Indian shipping companies get their vessels classified under Indian Register of Shipping simultaneously. and chartering out required government permission. The acquisition proposals of the public sector SCI. 1958 to advice the central government on matters relating to Indian shipping. Ship Acquisition Licensing Committee With the abolition of SDFC on April 3. With the budget of 1992-93. Earlier. shipping has been exposed to market forces. was taken over by SCICI. sale of ships which did not complete their prescribed economic life was prohibited. MOST. Prior to 1991-92. if they have to take intermediate surveys. As per the new Export Import policy effective from April ’97. were kept away from the purview of the SALC. by private sector shipping companies. It must intensify its effort to market its services to both Indian shippers and others and compete with other classification societies of international repute in respect of both quality and cost of service. which want to acquire ships. Approvals. Similarly the ship financing function. the government constituted a Ship Acquisition Licensing Committee (SALC) under the chairmanship of the Secretary. have thus lost their relevance. the SALC used to conduct periodical assessment of the demand of the different types of ships for carrying the national cargo. In addition to certification. the reason being that several of these ships are operating in international waters. relating to ship purchase. In any case. consistent with its commitment to liberalization and deregulation. with representation of various concerned ministries and agencies. 1987. the IRS has entered into agreements of mutual cooperation with all major International Classification Societies with arrangement of survey all over the world.Research and Information Division 26 . IRS would not be able to carry these out at a foreign port. The government withdrew this permission in the mid-90’s and instead has given exclusive authority to IRS to issue such certificates to Indian ships. The approval of MOST on the basis of SALC’s recommendation. certain categories of vessels have been placed under i-maritime . SALC in effect was therefore functioning as capital goods licensing committee for ships purchased from abroad by private sector shipping companies.Regulation of Indian Shipping Previously the International Classification Societies including Lloyds Register of Shipping. foreign exchange is no longer earmarked for ship acquisition and the shipping companies. S. Act. National Shipping Board National Shipping Board is a statutory body set up under the Merchant Shipping Act. constituted the due authorization for the purchase. four by the house of the people from amongst its members and the other two by the council of states from amongst its members. Further. sale authority of Director General of Shipping under M.
Shipping. But survey at the time of registration by Principal Officer. the price reasonableness will be required only if the value of the imported vessels on CIF basis is more than Rs 1 crore. In case of sale of vessel to foreign parties. no transfer or acquisition of any Indian ship is valid unless all wages and other amount due to seamen in connection with their employment on that ship have been paid in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Act. Companies now need only to submit monthly fixture reports to the Director General of Shipping. etc. life boats. which are still in the “restricted” list. Recently. MMD Import of second-hand vessels under OGL: • • • • No price reasonableness for import of vessel in case the CIF value of vessels is less than Rs 1 crore. economic life as defered by MoST. G. All conditions under ‘Import of second-hand vessel under OGL’ would also be applicable in case a second hand vessel is acquired under BBCD. They can liquidate any outstanding loans from the sale proceeds without the approval of the Department of Economic Affairs. boats. in the interest of the development of coastal shipping in these specialized services sector. MMD. Import of the smaller vessels. The price reasonableness and interest margin on rental payments will be verified by ICICI. For vessels costing more than Rs 1 crore. Acquisition of vessels on “restricted” list by non-ship owning companies: • SALC will continue to consider the import of vessels by non-ship owning companies. However. MMD. in the current year of 2000. Guidelines to be followed for import of all types of ships by shipping/ non-ship owning companies: Import of new vessels (by way of new buildings/ construction) under OGL: • Technical clearance and price reasonableness no longer required. All vessels should have a minimum of 5 years of economic life remaining at the time of acquisition. inflatable rafts and other floating structures. tugs & pusher barges. Acquisition of vessels on BBCD method under OGL: • • • • • Technical clearance not required. to place these crafts under “OGL” as in case of the other vessels like “bulk carriers. The new shipping policy permits Indian shipping companies to charter out their vessels to foreign companies without prior approval of the Directorate General of Shipping. for which permission is required form this Ministry. All the conditions mentioned under ‘Import of second-hand vessel under OGL’ would be applicable for import of these vessels.Research and Information Division 27 . price reasonableness certificate from ICICI. No technical clearance for import of second hand vessels. a request has been made to MoST. are under the “restricted” list and hence require government permission. with further liberalization only the smaller category of vessels require the approval of SALC. Rental agreement will come into force after it is taken on record by the RBI. Now. tankers”. like passenger launches. survey on arrival by the Principal Officer. and the owner of the ship has given notice of such transfer or acquisition of the ship to D.Regulation of Indian Shipping Open General License (OGL) and no permission is required from this Ministry for import of these vessels. However. Survey prior to registration by Principal Officer. barges. i-maritime . However. shipowners are allowed to retain the sale proceeds abroad (for a period of six months) and use them for fresh purchases. Charter period should be a minimum of 5 years.
Chanakya was later set up in 1993 for providing pre-sea training to nautical cadets and this replaced T. Now there are 8 pre-sea training institutes for deck-cadets. Certification and Watchkeeping) and modular courses. Thereafter. Maritime Association of Shipowners and Ship Agents (MASSA) representing foreign shipowners/ agents and Foreign Shipowners and Managers Association (FOSMA) representing foreign shipowners. BPT-FOSMA training institute was set up in 1992. to impart specialized training in marine engineering. In 1972. which receive about Rs. All the conditions under ‘Import of second-hand vessel under OGL’ would also be applicable here. where the company has identified into a mutual commitment with the owner regarding the purchase of the vessel. Several short-term courses on sponsorship basis were started to fulfil the shortages of officers like 3-month course for deck-cadets and 6 months course for trainee marine engineers. Recently with INSA also deciding to stop funding the MMERT.Regulation of Indian Shipping Acquisition of vessels on “restricted” list by ship owning companies: Acquisition of vessels on “restricted” list by ship owing companies will be considered under the automatic approval scheme subject to following conditions: • • • • The acquisition of ships should be in conformity with the age norms prescribed in para 2 and the second hand vessels should have a minimum of 5 years balance economic life. Stricter IMO regulations calling for greater training of manpower. Training institutions The maritime training institutes in India can be broadly classified as government maritime training institutes and private sector maritime training institutes.. The private sector marine training institutes commenced with the establishment of T. In 1949 the Directorate Marine Engineering Training Institute (DMET) was set up. S. i. and Lal Bahadur Shastri College of Advanced Maritime Studies and Research at Bombay. Merchant Marine Education and Research Trust (MMERT) which provides private funds for the upgradation of marine training facilities was set up in 1992. The government marine training institutes include T. S. it has been reluctant to fund the government training institutes.e. T. Dufferin in 1927 by Scindia Steam Navigation Company for developing Indian seamen as Britishers had monopolized all the officers and engineers positions. the Lal Bahadur Shastri College of Advanced Maritime Studies and Research was established in 1949 at Bombay. the FOSMA went ahead and set up its own training institute. The automatic approval would be given only for special acquisition cases. It was proposed to set up an Indian maritime university in future with the participation of private sector so as to bring all the training institutes under one umbrella. S. S. For imparting post-sea training. to encourage the private sector.Research and Information Division 28 . Rehman at New Bombay in 1910 and GESCO Academy in 1975 and MTI for SCI in 1987. S. With the maritime university not coming up. The members of the trust constitute. Rajendra replaced T. S. i-maritime . has provided a boost to the industry. Dufferin. Indian National Shipowners Association (INSA) representing Indian Shipowners. A shore based academy T. Chanakya at Bombay. The terms of obtaining foreign exchange for purchase of the vessel would be subject to usual approval by Department of Economic Affairs. 40 million annually from MMERT is in danger. 37 (inclusive of workshops) pre-sea training institutes for engineers. Marine Engineering and Research Institute at Calcutta & Bombay. Rajendra. 9 pre-sea training institutes for ratings and about 46 post sea training institutes imparting training on various STCW (Standards of Training. These constituents contribute US $ 5 per Indian rating per month and US $ 10 per Indian officer per month to the trust. many new institutes were set up. After the Ministry of Surface Transport issued liberalized guidelines in 1997. S. the future of the marine training institutes in India. The first systematic maritime training education in India started with the establishment of T.
the issues in Indian context: § § § § How stringent are Indian cabotage laws vis-à-vis other countries? Should BBCD vessels be allowed domestic trade privileges? How much do the cabotage law cost to the shippers in terms of higher costs? Cabotage laws and dredging.S. even after it is re-flagged in the domestic registry. This practice is prevalent in many countries. Act. it is the responsibility of the Directorate General of Shipping (DG) under the authority vested in him by Section 406 of the M. Manned by crew of the same nationality. The other arguments that are presented in support of this are jobs. i-maritime . Where a suitable Indian ship is available. Subsidies could be extended to the shipowners in various direct and indirect forms to encourage participation in the domestic coastal trade. Cabotage laws are based on the 4 parameters as given in the figure below: Registered and Flagged in the same country. S.Regulation of Indian Shipping Terms of protection Cabotage law Cabotage law refers to the set of rules and regulations that governs coastal shipping in a country. no permission or license is granted. Additionally. This has been the point of contention with INSA.Research and Information Division 29 . Why Cabotage laws? The rai-son d‘e-tre cited by all countries for such laws is that a well developed national fleet is critical to every nation’s security interest by providing essential sealift capability in wartime. For Container / LASH ships. Cabotage Ownership by company incorporated and whose shareholders are citizens of the same state. to grant license and to ensure the law is enforced. Built and repaired in yards belonging to the same state. Cabotage laws . transport of goods between two local ports by foreign ships is allowed only if suitable domestic ships are not available and special licenses are issued to such ships. This policy is entirely on the lines of the Indian National Shipowners Association’s (INSA) stand in the matter where. partial relaxation of cabotage regulations had been granted by the government in respect of operation of foreign flag vessels between Indian ports for a period of 5 years.Act. the DG of Shipping decides on it after due enquiry and determination whether suitable Indian owned ship is available for the purpose. It refers to the practice of restraining entry to a country’s coastal trade only to national ships with national crew as a matter of strategy. In India. safety and environmental protection. and in the form of exclusive reservation by the state of commercial operations between ports in that country for their own national flag vessels. Under the cabotage law. these laws could place re-flagging restrictions where a vessel that had been flagged in a different registry in the past might not enjoy domestic trading privileges. when an application is received for license for operation of a foreign flag vessel on the Indian coast as required under section 407 and section 21 of the M. as in US and Brazil.
No restrictions are placed on place of built of the vessels. the government allowed foreign direct investment of upto 51% under the automatic route in the shipping sector. First. a few foreign companies established operations in India and purchased vessels under the BBCD route. The matter came to a boil in 1999 when Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) invited tenders from domestic shipping companies for transporting petroleum products along the Indian coast. International comparison highlights that cabotage laws in India are in fact not very stringent compared to such countries as USA. which was later increased to 74 % and even 100% on a case to case basis. Certain development has made the sailing rough for BBCD vessels. While ownership restrictions were there till a few months back. US-built vessel that is rebuilt overseas also loses its domestic trading privileges. Brazil. in contrast to the cabotage laws in some countries as USA. Subsequently. The BBCD scheme was launched in the wake of the balance of payments crisis. The S. United States BBCD vessels and domestic coastal trade The cabotage laws in India are presently ambiguous with a large number of grey areas. recent foreign investment promotion policy by the government permits 74% foreign direct investment in the shipping sector under the automatic approval route and even 100% on a case to case basis has led to the annulment of this clause. The recent controversy relating to domestic trading provisions for Bare Boat Charter cum Demise (BBCD) vessels highlighted this. 1958.Regulation of Indian Shipping Indian cabotage laws vis-à-vis other countries Cabotage laws in India are governed by section 407 and 408 of Merchant Shipping Act. where only vessels built in US yards are eligible for domestic trade. implementation of these laws are alleged to be lackadaisical. is through multiple installments spread over a period of time. These regulations place restrictions on vessel flag and crew.Research and Information Division 30 . Also. Greece and Japan. However. primarily to reduce the foreign exchange outgo in outright acquisition of ships and also to help domestic shipping companies acquire vessels through an easier method of financing. This is perceived to deprive Indian vessels of the opportunities of rightful participation in the coastal operations…” Indian National Shipowners Association has also held similar views. Kakar Committee on Draft Coastal Shipping Act has observed that “…deployment of foreign vessels in our coasting trade is a regular occurrence and some quarters have alleged that this is taking place even when adequate number of Indian ships are available. The comparisons made are given in the table below: Cabotage laws in various countries Cabotage Crewing requirements Ownership requirements Domestic construction provision Re-flagging restrictions Fleet subsidies India yes yes yes no na no USA yes yes yes yes yes no Japan yes yes yes no yes yes Greece yes yes yes no na no Brazil yes yes yes yes yes yes UK some yes no no no yes (indirect) Norway some no yes no na yes China yes yes yes no yes yes (indirect) France yes yes yes no na yes Source: Maritime Cabotage Task Force (MCTF). since exchange outgo instead of being outright. invitation of offers was made by IOC to companies like Amar i-maritime . From the nation’s perspective. N. this method was invaluable in achieving the twin objectives of tonnage enhancement and lower foreign exchange outgo during the foreign exchange crisis in early 90s. taking advantage of the clause that allowed such vessels to be treated at par with Indian flag vessels for all purposes including preferences in the shipment of government cargo and cabotage cargo on the Indian coast even when the vessel is not flagged in India.
As a compromise with MOST. The committee has also recommended the removal of customs duty on stores. Further. however. Presently. It has been brought to notice that dredging operations can be carried out only by Indian registered dredgers having the necessary license issued under Section 406 of the M.should BBCD vessels be allowed domestic trade? It is in the negative.7 million tons GRT over the last one decade. there are numerous grey areas in the cabotage laws. Certain sections of the market feel that this cost could be reduced by atleast US$ 50 million. to reduce operating costs on running such vessels. vessels are unable to meet the target discharge rates and thus operate below desired efficiency level. The arguments against BBCD vessels were that they being foreign flagged. as far as the recent decision by the Ministry of Surface Transport is concerned. Great Lakes. Boskali. The average age of the Indian fleet is almost 20 years. survey. The sector is unable to compete with railways and roads despite having a large number of inherent advantages. Act and only in the event of a suitable Indian dredger not being available can a foreign dredger be employed. supporters of cabotage law point that savings are possible only at the expense of the sacrifice of national security and greater environmental risks. S. after going into the grey areas. tax income for the government is forfeited. Foreign dredging companies handle around 30% of the total dredging of 55 million cubic meters carried out in major ports in India. filed a request with DG of Shipping for hiring of foreign vessels alleging that Indian shipping lines act in unison and thus do not provide a ‘free competition’ environment. However. Pratibha Shipping would convert all its vessels into Indian flag to qualify for coastal shipping. etc. Implementations of such recommendations could lead to rectification of present problem of higher costs to shippers even while only domestic ships are allowed to ply. Coastal trade in India is to the extent of around 45 million tons and thus shipping costs incurred are upward of US$ 600 million. In India. The point of contention . Higher costs to the shippers A study done in 1991 by US International Trade Commission found that cabotage laws in US cost the consumers around us $3 billion in the form of higher prices. There are still a lot of loopholes in the dredging industry that needs to be plugged. Efficiency gains in ocean freight would have multiplier effects on the economy as a whole. setting up operations in India. The Kakar Committee on Coastal Shipping has recommended the relaxation of several of these norms in certain areas like manning. etc. Recent modification attempts in United States have faced severe opposition. 1958 and subjected to same rules and regulations like overseas vessels.Regulation of Indian Shipping Shipping and Pratibha Shipping. vessels in coastal trade are regulated under Merchant Shipping Act. This recommendation. Tamil Nadu government owned Poompuhar Shipping Corporation responsible for transportation of coal for power plants under Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. whose majority shareholding is held outside India. whose fleet mostly comprises ships acquired under the BBCD route. which the Ministry of Surface i-maritime . Removal of various restrictions on employment of foreign dredgers in India in 1992 has led to large multinationals like HAM. spares and bunker. and which was opposed by domestic shipowners. has recommended that BBCD vessels in companies where the foreign shareholding is more than 51% should not be eligible for cabotage. Cabotage laws have always been highly controversial in any country. As a result they were in a position to quote a more competitive rate than the Indian-flagged vessels. Tax on profits earned by the domestic shipowners goes to the government of India while in the case of hiring of foreign vessels. Two years back. do not have to satisfy the stringent norms under the Indian flag.Research and Information Division 31 . Has cabotage laws led to complacency on the part of the Indian shipowners and hence deployment of BBCD vessels would provide the much needed competition to rejuvenate the sector? Indian coastal fleet has stagnated at 0. Dredging industry Dredging industry also comes under the preview of cabotage laws. The National Shipping Policy Committee. has become irrelevant now in the light of the fact that 100% FDI has been allowed into the shipping sector on a caseto-case basis under the automatic route.
Thus. In 1990. or in case of refusal by Indian shipowners. § § The composition of cargo handled by Transchart has also changed. brokers have to meet a certain minimum criteria issued by Transchart. In the absence of suitable Indian tonnage. Transchart generally looks into the reputation and credibility of the shipowner/ ship manager along with the various criteria of age. even though the country’s sea-borne trade has risen from 5. suitable foreign tonnage is sought through a network of around 50 registered brokers. The following reasons can be attributed to the fall in share of Transchart over the past two decades: § Rise of the private sector with the liberalization process that started in mid 80’s and gathered momentum in 1991. This puts PSU’s at a disadvantage vis-à-vis the private sector players operating in the same industry. In the same period. The general procedure of operation is that the shipping contracts are first offered to Indian shipping companies. The shipping requirements of public sector undertakings (PSUs) are routed through this body. Transchart handles all cargoes imported or exported by the government agencies. i-maritime .Regulation of Indian Shipping Transport can not turn a blind eye to. contracts are perceived to be cheaper than what Transchart negotiates at.f. It should be noted that the shipping charges in case of general cargo are much higher than dry bulk. classification. The main objective behind the formation of Transchart was to conserve foreign exchange and to provide cargo support to Indian shipping companies so as to boost the growth. set up in 1958. under c.f. insurance and special survey position of the vessel. the supplier is responsible for the safe delivery of cargo.i. c. However total cargo handled by Transchart is quite low at only around 8. Today a greater portion of India’s trade can be attributed to private sector companies whose shipping requirements are not routed through Transchart.i. To be on the panel. It should be noted that since vessel chartering through Transchart restricts the level of competition.o. we believe there has also been a significant decline in value terms. Indian flag vessels are always preferred. there has been a stagnation as has been mentioned before. nearly 18% of cargo handled included liner-cargo while in 1999 it is almost negligible. contracts.i. However. flag. It is observed that public sector units are increasingly contracting import shipments on the c.Research and Information Division 32 . basis and exports on f. in terms of volume of cargo. basis because of the apparent advantages of c. Firstly. India’s overseas trade has grown from around 70 million tonnes to more than 210 million tonnes . a growth of 70% over levels in 1980 which was around 13 million tonnes. even while cargo handled by Transchart has stagnated in volume terms.8 million tonnes. Transchart Transchart is a centralized chartering organization. cargo handled by the body fell further to 16 million tonnes leading to a fall in share to less than 8%. as an affiliate to the Ministry of Surface Transport (MoST) and headed by a Chief Controller of Chartering. Cabotage laws will always remain a point of contention for our nation and any amount of prodding on its behalf will not help solve the issue surrounding this controversy. The objective of conservation of foreign exchange is no longer relevant today.a growth of nearly 200%. the negotiated freight rates (or price of shipping services) are not optimized. In the financial year 1999.b. The government needs to put in the maximum efforts in clearing all the issues regarding the cabotage laws so as to help it gain the purpose.8 million tonnes in 1999. which it sets out to achieve. Thus Transchart’s share in total overseas cargo has fallen from around 18% to 10%. almost equivalent to the cargo handled in 1980.f.f. While chartering vessels. Further. In the cargo arrangements made by Transchart. The share of domestic shipping vessels in cargo handled by the chartering wing of the Ministry of Surface Transport has overall shown a rising trend over the last 2 decades.i. Total cargo handled by Transchart today is quite low at only around 22 million tonnes.7 million tonnes in 1980 to 10.
Research and Information Division 33 .32 12.0 66. with the complete dismantling of Administered Pricing Mechanism in 2002.68 19. In the current financial year. In the next 2-3 years.81 9.90 8.79 0.40 6.86 24.88 0.37 11. cargo handled by Transchart is expected to rise as the body has been vested with the responsibility of making shipping arrangements for crude imports.8 63.58 24.03 0. They also feel that the reason behind transchart’s downfall is due to the fact that the Indian shipping companies themselves are constantly overlooking the norms and guidelines stated in the legal framework.23 0.57 1.13 Total 13.37 8. market participants point out that cargo routed through transchart has not been large enough to induce Indian shipowners to acquire tonnage.45 21.98 16.83 9. However.54 12.77 7.75 21. made such arrangements.84 6.26 8.42 5. How successful has transchart been in aiding in the growth of Indian shipping industry? Although there has been no empirical research on this.02 0.67 8.5 57.57 9.27 0.31 5.67 18. the role of Transchart is expected to further decline.04 0.97 % share of Indian ships 41.88 16.58 9.5 51.68 13.39 6.2 51.54 12. one needs to consider the following points before completely disparaging the role played by Transchart: § More than a quarter of total cargo handled by Indian shipowners has been routed through transchart § More than 50% of the dry bulk cargo handled by Indian shipping companies. This has been further accentuated by future uncertainty of role of Transchart.04 0. Previously Shipping Corporation of India.20 0.27 11.93 8.45 6.90 0.15 3. which acted as a nodal agency.02 0.37 4.4 59.16 19.36 0.Regulation of Indian Shipping Total cargo handled by Indian and foreign ships 1980-1999 (million tonnes) Liner cargo Bulk cargoes (dry + liquid) Grand total Indian Foreign Total Indian Foreign Total Indian Foreign ships ships ships ships ships ships 0.94 18.9 1980 1985 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Source: Transchart & INSA The following graph shows the share of Indian and foreign shipowners in handling of cargo routed through Transchart over the last two decades.13 10.40 10.57 11.98 1.32 17. However.01 1.53 19.30 0.20 12.13 12.35 10.08 16.35 0.53 10.12 15. Government’s disinvestment policy is also expected to reduce the role of Tranchart.98 1.03 9.09 8. has been routed through the body i-maritime .4 48.23 9.47 1. the government has targeted to complete the disinvestment process in 33 PSUs.16 0.59 3.56 0.
During this period. however. In case of Essar Shipping.Regulation of Indian Shipping Tax provisions governing the industry Tax concessions Section 33-AC of IT Act: The government has provided deductions of tax on profits of shipping companies that are appropriated into a special reserve. The result of reserves not being part of equity is that companies are forced to pay dividends and then the share holders invest in fresh equity to increase the paid up capital of the company. Shipping companies can reserve part of their profit (up to twice the paid-up capital) in a special deposit and avail 100 per cent tax deduction. earmarked for the acquisition of new vessels. in the recent budget.Research and Information Division 34 . Is the 5 years time period ideal? The 5 years time limit. the shareholders actually invest in the company. 2050 millions. between 1991-92 to 1999-2000. government reverted back to the Act in its original form. with effect from 1st April 1996. the section was diluted so that no more than 50 percent of the shipping income (in contrast to the total income before) could be deducted from the taxable income. 1. In this light the reserves should also be considered equivalent to the paid up capital of the company. shipping companies were at an advantage to raise their paid-up equity capital. There are. which has come down from the earlier available 8 years. Again the rationale behind this is not very clear. given for new acquisition is not ideal for shipping industry considering its cyclical nature. many shipping companies have enjoyed the protective umbrella of Section 33 AC of the Income Tax Act. Section 33-AC of the Income Tax Act was aimed at giving incentives to the shipping companies to acquire new tonnage. 2001 and the deduction can be availed from the assessment year 2001-02. allotment of shares to International Finance Corporation (IFC) and merger with a subsidiary company GAL offshore. Another implication of this restriction is that companies will be forced to dilute their equity in order to increase their paid up capital. Subsequently. reduced from the previous limit of 8 years. The special deposit can be utilized to buy new ships in a span of 5 years. Great Eastern had two rights issues (at par). many issues relating to Section 33 AC: § § § Why should the reserves not be considered as equivalent to equity while calculating the upper cap on the ship acquisition reserve? Is the time limit of 5 years fixed for ship acquisition ideal for shipping industry considering its cyclicality? Why should shipping income of non-shipping companies not get the benefit of Section 33-AC? Reserves should be considered equivalent to equity Currently any reserve capitalized would not be considered for calculating the upper limit of the ship acquisition reserve. The above issues raised the equity capital of the company by around Rs. Enacted in 1989 and brought into effect from 1st April 1990. Reserves belong to the shareholders and are a sort of an investment by them in the company. Since the quantum of tax savings was directly linked to the paid up equity. This will be effective from April 1st. Companies claim that by the time they have accumulated enough in the ship acquisition i-maritime . a Global Depository Receipt issue (GDR).000 million. the paid up capital of the company has increased by more than Rs. However. It has been accepted worldwide that internally generated funds are the cheapest and most efficient source of finance. By deciding not to take out the reserves as dividend. Over the last few years. Any revenue ploughed back into the company should be good for the business and should be encouraged. This benefit is still not available for multi-activity companies and Private Limited companies. This is an inefficient method as in the process the company has to pay 10 % dividend tax.
Gujarat Ambuja etc. should see a lot of nonshipping companies hiving off their shipping divisions into separate companies.5 percent.5 percent has to be paid by the company. which in turn might lead to results that are quite contrary to the objectives of the Section. In order to bring such companies under the income tax net. This. Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) A company’s profit and loss account is prepared as per the provisions of the Companies Act. because income computed. where tax on shipping profits is as low as 1. Even though Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) has been reduced to 7. Earlier. it is still higher in relation to the “zero” tax regimes in many other maritime countries. the prices would have gone up and in order to save tax they would be forced to acquire tonnage at astronomical prices. This is extremely low when compared to much higher taxes paid by the Indian shipping companies. although the companies were showing book profits and declaring dividends to the shareholders. along with the recent legislative proceedings paving way for demergers. We believe that various issues within the Act need to be reassessed and changes made. but could also be hired to other companies.5 percent of book profit. the income of the company is calculated as per provisions of the Income Tax Act. The timing of asset acquisition is critical to the success of any shipping venture. 1956. However. According to MAT. There were lot of cases whereby companies had profits but were not paying any tax. the total income chargeable to tax would be an amount equal to 30 percent of such book profits. they were not paying any income tax. so as to enable achievement of the objective of encouraging various companies to acquire vessels. i-maritime . The ships are used for in-house purposes.5 percent on book profits or the actual tax calculated as per IT rules whichever is higher. a company is required to pay tax of either 7. So. In other words. SPIC. for tax purposes. Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) has to be paid irrespective of company allocating all the profit to special reserve for getting deduction under Section 33 AC of IncomeTax Act. If the taxable income of a company computed under the IT Act was less than 30 percent of its book profits. as it is popularly known was introduced. The fact is that nobody can really predict the cyclicality of the shipping industry accurately hence even if the time limit is increased companies might face the same problem. as per tax rules was either nil or insignificant. The major concern of the shipping industry is that it should be provided a level playing field with foreign competitors such as shipping lines from U. and we expect more companies to follow suit. It has been brought down to 7. have their own shipping fleet which is quite sizeable. The very objectives behind Section 33-AC of the Income Tax Act have to be questioned and it is to be seen whether those objectives are being fulfilled. In practice companies do prolong the life of the ship acquisition reserve as explained above and hence can avoid acquiring tonnage when prices are high. ICL has already declared its intentions of doing so.K. Companies like Great Eastern have been able to provide higher than average returns largely because of following such a strategy. Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) has been reduced in the recent budgetary provisions. This particular provision of Section 33-AC would force companies to acquire vessels in inopportune periods.Research and Information Division 35 .5 percent. the method of calculation was also different.Regulation of Indian Shipping reserve to buy a ship. Offcourse. L&T (the company recently sold off its ships).5 percent on total book profits from the existing 10. Minimum Alternate Tax or MAT. since the vessels are used for in house purposes the actual income and hence profits from the shipping division is difficult to gauge. a minimum tax of 7. The rationale of not allowing non-shipping companies to avail benefits of Section 33-AC seems unjustified. Many non-shipping companies like Indian Cements Limited (planning to hive off its shipping division to a separate company). Reliance Industries.
Assuming a net registered tonnage of around 7 million tonnes. 1998. The net tax outgo as a result.Regulation of Indian Shipping Tonnage tax Tonnage tax or more accurately a ‘tonnage-based corporation tax’ is a system that charges taxes on the basis of tonnage under control rather than actual profits earned. 1. 5 per net registered tonnage (similar to Singapore). High tax implications for working in Indian Ships is one of the reasons. the company might end up paying taxes even during periods of losses. Access to lower cost debt funds by issue of tax free securities. However. Tonnage tax is prevalent in some of the European countries such as Britain. to replicate the golden years of 1970s much more than the introduction of tonnage tax is required. forget revival of the industry. 1. corporations have the option of either continuing with the present regime or joining the new system (tonnage tax) for a minimum period of 10 years. It will give companies greater flexibility in planning and financing their capital expenditure. ports and roads. 35 million only against the around Rs. In a capital-intensive industry like shipping. participants in the shipping sector have been asking for the grant of infrastructure status. Indian ship owners have been asking for amendments to income tax laws in order to retain Indian seafarers. They will also not be restricted by the need to defer tax. the dollar income earned by him is tax-free. to usher a boom in the industry. In Britain.000 million or around US $20 million for ship acquisition. The following benefits will accrue to the shipping industry if it is accorded infrastructure status: § § § § § § Exemption from MAT. Access to the resources of Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation. etc Tax relief for merchant navy personnel To check the outflow and drift of the trained merchant navy personnel for foreign flag employment. Wage bills work out to be 35 to 40 percent of the total operational cost of shipping lines. Income tax rules state that for any Indian seafarer who spends 183 days or more at sea (whether inside the territorial waters of India or outside). Netherlands. the total annual tax outgo for the shipping industry would be in the region of Rs. Indian shipowners have also been asking for the introduction of the concept in India with an annual tonnage tax in the region of Rs. While tonnage tax cannot harbinger the revival of the industry. Alternatively. Enhancement of depreciation rate for ships from 20 percent to 40 percent. it will increase the competitiveness of Indian shipping lines operating under stricter and costlier regulations to compete with Flag of convenience vessels. The drift has however not abated and Indian merchant navy personnel continue to seek employment in foreign flag vessels. would reduce by shifting from the present regime governed under Section 33-AC and Minimum Alternate Tax. Tonnage tax is expected to give certainty to ship owners that a major liability will not arise in the future which is the case in present regime where tax liability accrues if reserves under Sec 33-AC are not used within 5 years. Indian seafarers employed by foreign vessels enjoying NRI status are exempt from payment of income tax.Research and Information Division 36 . i-maritime . an increase in the wage level was given to these personnel by the shipping industry with effect from April 1. Income tax exemption for Indian seafarers on Indian ships irrespective of the period and area of the ship’s operation. Since tonnage tax is independent of actual book profits made by the company and is instead dependent on tonnage under control. The National Shipping Policy Committee 1997 has recommended that coastal shipping should be recognized as an infrastructural component along the lines of power. on a foreign-owned vessel. Five-year tax holidays on each vessel acquisition. This implies availability of extra funds of around Rs. based on the lines that it is an important part of the transport infrastructure and is required for the smooth development of domestic industry and trade.100 million tax outgo in the financial year 1998-99. Norway as well as South Korea. this quantum of funds is not expected to make any palpable difference. which would lead to the grant of substantial fiscal and non-fiscal benefits.
As per various estimates. Ship owners are seeking tax exemption for those employed on Indian ships. Assessment Two consequences emerge after the recent changes have been effected in the institutional and regulatory framework governing Indian shipping industry: 1. i-maritime . 300 to 350 million. then it is taxable. on par with those on foreign vessels. During these years.Regulation of Indian Shipping At the same time.both cargo and financial and hence greater role of market forces in shaping the contours of Indian shipping industry. Lower government support . the loss of revenue to the exchequer will be around Rs.Research and Information Division 37 . Indian seafarers employed on a foreign ship even when it is trading in Indian waters. Whereas. As per this rule. As the tax element widens the wage disparity between the Indian seafarers on foreign ships and those employed on Indian ships. pay no taxes. ship acquisition or sale. seafarers on foreign-going Indian vessels have to spend at least 183 days outside the territorial waters of India. more and more seafarers are leaving for lucrative foreign jobs creating manpower shortage in the Indian companies. Indian seamen employed on Indian ships are subject to income tax. not even half of the seamen currently employed on Indian ships are eligible for NRI benefits. etc. any income earned from a foreign source. chartering. is tax-free. However. This NOR status is available for the next seven years irrespective of the fact whether he spends 183 days or not in foreign waters. if full tax exemption is given. To qualify for tax exemption. Greater freedom to Indian companies in such decision are shipbuilding. 2. he acquires a ‘Resident but Not Ordinarily Resident’ (NOR) status. If an Indian seafarer is able to spend more than 183 days outside India’s territorial waters on an Indian ship for two consecutive years. if it is from an Indian source. in foreign currency.
a few banks like Christiana Bank. Loans were in the form of syndicated bank lending and were for medium and long-term periods.Shipping finance in India Shipping finance in India Shipping is a capital-intensive industry. Term loan and working capital credits come under fund-based finance. etc. Additionally. The type of finance that the industry can avail is broadly divided into two types . subscribed to 20 percent of the issued i-maritime . 567 million under guarantees and counter-guarantees. mobile assets. A LNG carrier costs around USD 250 million. SDFC had also stood as a guarantor for numerous loans and credits given by the banks and foreign shipyards. governments have also provided substantial financial support to respective industries either in direct or indirect forms. 14. Finance was granted to the extent of 90 percent of price of a foreign-built new ship or 75 percent of the price of a second-hand ship. other norms like debt-equity rates and promoter’s equity contribution were relaxed to a large extent. Such liberal funding led to massive tonnage acquisition. international service. sophisticated financial instruments are conspicuous by their absence. term lending backed by security in the form of collateral and mortgage has been the most prevalent form of financial assistance given to shipping companies. Banks and financial institutions have been the main source of debt finance for shipping companies. a Handysized chemical ship is around USD 70 million. By April 3. Vessels constitute almost 90 percent of the fixed assets (net block + capital work in progress) of a typical shipping company. The loans granted from the Shipping Development Fund carried a concessional rate of interest of 3 percent per annum during 1959-1971 later increased to 4. bills discounting and guarantees constitute such facility. but a liability is created on the lenders to make payment in case of a default. Between 1970 and 1977. Euro-currency loans for acquisition of ships especially second hand ships assumed an increasingly important role in the 1970’s. ABN Amro. the government has played a major role in development of the domestic shipping industry. However. Letter of Credit. Shipping Credit and Investment Company of India (SCICI) was established to provide financial assistance to the shipping and deep sea fishing industries in India. Assistance was also provided by way of shipbuilders’ credits. Recognizing the importance of shipping sector. a problem accentuated by the depression following the oil price hikes in 1974. a total tonnage of nearly 3 million grt was added to the national fleet.5 percent during 1971-1982 and subsequently to 7. Additionally. Past scenario In India. In contrast. Citibank etc have specialized in providing finance to the shipping industry. when it was finally wound up. in such countries like Japan and Korea can be attributed to this. In 1958 a statutory fund called the Shipping Development Fund was established to provide assistance to the shipping industry as a long-term measure of assistance. Apart from SDFC. asset-based financing in industries with similar profile like Airways have had highly sophisticated instruments to match prevalent risk-return structure. a ship-owner or a potential ship-owner wishing to acquire a vessel finds considerable gap in his personal funds availability and additional funds requirement. Growth of maritime industries.fund based finance and non-fund based finance. around 200 banks are presently active in this industry worldwide. a double-hulled VLCC costs around USD 90 million. SDFC had provided loans to the extent of Rs. Internationally.5 percent. They defaulted in the payment of their installments towards repayment of loans and interest to SDFC. Shipping finance has to a large extent remained a specialist sector on account of a number of unique characteristics associated with the shipping industry. In some cases of default of their borrowers. ICICI. Under non-fund based finance. As per various estimates.52 billion and paid another Rs. SDFC was required as guarantor to make payment to these creditors. A number of shipping companies went into bankruptcies or became casualties in the shipping depression. 1987. a scheme for the grant of loans to shipping companies in India was instituted in 1951 and was continued on an ad hoc basis till 1958. A Committee known as the Shipping Development Fund Committee (SDFC) administered the Shipping Development Fund.Research and Information Division 38 . fulfilling the objective behind setting up of SDFC. Despite the intricacies involved in shipping finance. banks in India were also providing loan assistance for shipping. funds are not actually employed. the main promoter of SCICI. In such a scenario. Subsequently. Globally. Some of the characteristics are volatile markets. which hit India from 1976 to 1986. especially shipping. etc. highly leveraged asset acquisition led to problems for many companies in meeting principal and interest obligations.
except in the initial years when the loans were marginally subsidized. a factory. Indian shipping companies have a miniscule market capitalization vis-à-vis the market capitalization of the Indian stock market. As the Indian fleet grew. However IFCI. equity route by shipping companies was adopted mainly since 1980’s for various factors like phasing of subsidized funding by Shipping Development Fund Committee (SDFC). State Bank of India and four commercial banks joined ICICI in the promotion of SCICI. private equity funds etc. as the industry through out the ages has been considered highly risky and prone to innumerable dangers. however. physical viewing and monitoring of the vessel is difficult. we have around 8 shipping companies listed with the stock exchange.3 percent. for instance. By 1989. IIBI and IDFC have very limited exposure to the shipping segment. SCICI disbursements started declining. General Insurance Corporation of India and its subsidiaries. Most other commercial banks show considerable skepticism in taking up exposure in shipping. By 1996. venture capital. ship repairs. As a banking institution. Institutions that are willing to take up shipping proposals in India can be broadly divided into the following six groups: Financial institutions – As development financial institutions these organizations have wide-ranging project appraisal skills and expertise. acquaculture. SCICI disbursement to shipping was down to 19. In comparison to an immovable property. Industrial Development Bank of India. Merger of SCICI led to the creation of the marine division within ICICI in April 1997 to cater exclusively to the financing and development needs of corporates engaged in shipping. The initial tasks required of SCICI were to implement a rehabilitation package for the sick shipping companies which could be restored back to health. It became more or less like a regular banking institution. However. to recover the loans which were due to SDFC and to provide developmental financing to the shipping sector. SCICI started giving loans at market rates. Set up as a developmental finance institution for shipping finance. with its activities no longer limited to shipping. Currently. ease of norms for tapping the equity market and ship owners becoming increasingly aware of the pitfalls of a high leveraged capital structure. Present scenario Equity markets Equity markets basically consists of equity capital markets.Shipping finance in India capital of the company. deep sea fishing and other marine related activities. Some of the exceptions are ICICI and State Bank of India who have dedicated shipping divisions. a ship sails in the high seas out of the protective policies and regulation of the domestic government. Subsequently SCICI was merged with ICICI and today there is no financial institution dedicated to this sector. Market capitalization of the largest public sector company namely Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is around US $120. whereas that of Great Eastern Shipping.Research and Information Division 39 . For instance scrip of Shipping Corporation of India is trading at a discount of 70% to book value and around 80% to net asset value. SCICI’s portfolio had also begun to diversify. the largest private sector is US $ 150. The government has also stopped providing concessional finance. Equity funding in shipping markets is more popular in case of high-risk projects where vessel acquisition is not backed by a firm contract for deployment or where vessels are acquired for asset play. Additionally the sector is cyclical in nature. i-maritime . SCICI was influential in advising shipping companies on management and the international environment. Others like IDBI and ILFS also have sizeable exposure to the shipping sector. Unit Trust of India. SCICI and now ICICI has been the single largest ship financier in the private sector having funded almost 70 percent of the total tonnage acquired by the private sector. sanctions and disbursements by ICICI for ship acquisition and related areas have been negligible in the past three years. Debt markets Very few of the Indian banks and financial institutions have the necessary expertise or infrastructure to appraise shipping projects. Despite this. In India. scrip’s of whose are trading at discounted prices. Industrial Finance Corporation of India. Life Insurance Corporation of India. ship building.
public sector banks are led by SBI. Bank of India. Venture funding in a theoretical sense is used to fund innovative ideas which are not proven and where capital could be at considerable risk. Most of the current venture capital is being invested in high technology related areas like information technology. these banks do not have a dedicated shipping desk. Tolani. We would expect most the financing of these new types of firms to be through venture capital. Internet would become a common platform on which most of the future business would be conducted. Acquisition of a vessel can be either from a second-hand market or can be new built.Shipping finance in India Venture Financing in Shipping Venture financing is increasingly becoming a dominant mode of funding for the new knowledge based businesses. Is it than more attractive to the venture capitalists? Not really! Unless there is innovation with considerable growth potential. Shipping being a traditional industry does not fall into the category of high technology. which has a dedicated shipping and overseas division. Therefore a VC prefers to invest in good management teams and in many ideas. competition with better products and services or substitutes may not be in direct control of the entrepreneur. DCI etc. New E-Commerce firms concentrating on transactions are going to become extremely popular. As these firms can not offer any collateral. SCI. We would also expect Internet portals on shipping management.Research and Information Division 40 . Also it may happen that the i-maritime . and equipment supplies and marine education soon on the net. 1999 significantly by seeking advice from consultancy firms specializing in knowledge and system management and adapting to latest technological advancement in information technology and communication. A venture financier on one hand tries to understand the risks involved in an investment proposition and on the other hand evaluates the potential benefits that may accrue if the idea becomes successful. Many of the existing shipping firms are also web enabling their businesses. there could be several competitors having a regional or global focus. Even if few of these ideas become successful. A lender is always averse to risk as he looks for financial safety and therefore is unwilling to provide debt financing for such a business proposition. Asking whether a firm would use Internet for its business is equivalent of asking whether a firm uses a telephone for conducting its business activities. Issue 15 & 16. SBI is the banker to many of leading shipping companies like Varun. and Punjab National Bank have wide exposure to the ship breaking industry in Gujarat. In the former case shipowners require quick sanctioning of loans lest the vessel passes over to other competing buyers. Banks for which collateral of assets is very important typically finance shipping assets. Increasingly the role of bank finance would be to fund the physical assets in any business and creation of knowledge assets would be funded by venture capitalists. Any business activity is organized around three basic requirements: firstly application of physical assets. This would also facilitate raising of venture capital for these firms. In the next four to five years. Some of the shipping firms may float independent companies for conducting business through the web. recruitment. There is not much bank’s finance available for the firms specializing and concentrating on systems and business processes. it is very difficult to judge which ideas would become successful in future. can we conclude that shipping is unlikely to get any venture capital? The above reasoning is not true. Just because an investment is riskier does not guarantee large returns for the venture capitalists. all the above three components of the business activity are fast changing. The business success or failure could be a function of multiple variables. we expect that in the future venture capitalist firms would play an increasingly bigger role in funding. In reality. December 1-31. secondly utilization of human resources and thirdly knowledge of systems and business processes. Public sector commercial banks – Public sector banks control a major portion of the banking business in the country. Venture capitalist is willing to wait for a few years before the entrepreneur’s idea fructifies. However. sale and purchase of new building. ship-repair. Bank of Baroda and Syndicate Bank also have sizeable exposure to the shipping industry. we would expect around 30 to 40 Internet portals on various aspects of shipping with several of them competing with each other. he expects to generate handsome returns on his overall capital invested. shipping finance. As the role and size of knowledge based shipping businesses keep increasing. Due to the rapidly evolving business environment arising out of technological innovations. Therefore. For example the day is not far when charter broking. Shipping by its volatility and cyclical nature is expected to be more riskier than others industries. Essar. ports. In terms of exposure to the shipping industry. firms are concentrating on either one or two requirements rather than concentrating in all the three as stated above. i-maritime expects emergence of many new types of shipping firms who would be focussing on delivering the services relating to business processes and not as much on aggregating and owning the shipping assets. venture capital financing can bridge the gap. State Bank of Saurashtra. Public sector banks take up considerable time in evaluating a project (for a new client it can take anything between 4 to 5 months). second hand and demolition of ships would take place on Internet. Under each category. We would expect almost every firm in the maritime sector to have a web site and conduct their business through it. Dena Bank. Shipowners concentrate on acquiring ships and the responsibility of operations and manning is given to independent professional ship managers. Internet and biotechnology etc. Dolphin Offshore. Further. many of which like the rapidly changing technological environment. Shipping industry is also currently changing its business practices Source: Maritime Monitor.
5% to 4. We at i-maritime have tried to assess the relative costs of borrowing in US Dollars and in Indian rupees.00% 11.Research and Information Division 41 .5% Libor+3.50%Dollar loan increases from 16.00% 10. Analysis Foreign Currency denominated loan .00% to 17.Shipping finance in India Indian Rupee or US Dollar? Issue. Other assumptions include a cost of 2.48% 15.13% 17.The second option available to such companies is to borrow in Indian currency at prevailing market rates of around 16. It should be noted that the results are dynamic.43% 16. This is in sharp contrast to the scenario few years back when the Indian Corporates made a beeline for borrowing from the international markets.00% 10. I n t e r e s t Effective USD Interest rate r a t e Interest rate 14.50% 10. The effective Dollar rate works out be approximately equal to the costs involved in case the promoters borrow Dollar denominated loans.25%. the equivalent fixed rate interest rate for a USD denominated loan could be anywhere in the region of 10. In the recent past. However this would entail an additional cost of around 200 basis points fora swap (loan) tenure of three years.5%. we expect that such a company can borrow at a premium of around 3.50% 10. In case the Rupee depreciates by 5. Issue 5.02% 17. where the reference interest rate is the London Inter Bank Offer Rate (LIBOR). This is apparent from the lower part of the table where with an increase of 100 basis points of the depreciation rate the effective Rupee cost of a 10. LIBOR had crossed 7.5% Libor+4.0% over the LIBOR.00% 5. Over the last few years of advising to various shipping companies. In the past. The firm may however enter into a swap transaction with some other player (which can be the lending institution) to convert the floating interest rate into a fixed interest rate.0% Taking into consideration the above factors.43% 16.0% to 5.95% 16. the firm’s future interest payments are therefore uncertain.00% 5. Effective Rupee cost of the loan under such a scenario has been summarized in the table.50% to 11. 1999 i-maritime . Our own analysis 6 months back on the same issue had yielded totally different results from the one we are getting presently.66% 17.Foreign currency loan from most banks and financial institution is available at floating interest rates. It is observed that.5% to 9. Money is lent at a certain premium to the LIBOR.50% 9. In such a scenario. Presently the LIBOR rates are hovering at around 5.55% 17.85% USD loan Net fixed Interest rate 9.00% 9. the cost would be even higher. thus taking the total interest rate to around 8.00% as is indicative from the six-monthly forward premia.07% 16.00% on the Dollar denominated loan and an expected Rupee depreciation of 5.50% 10. Further there has been a reduced activity in this market because most Indian corporates are now borrowing from the Indian market. For a swap tenure of five years. In case of loans of maturity longer than six months. This results in the introduction of an additional risk component in the project.13%.0% level in January 1995. Based on all these issues we have attempted to determine which of the two options is more attractive in the present scenario. which in turn is dependent on the risk perception of the borrower.50% 11. Given an annualized sixmonthly forward premia of 5.50% 11. the effective Dollar rate for a 16.Many of the smaller and medium sized shipping companies seeking financial assistance from Banks and Financial Institutions for the acquisition of vessels have to decide between a Dollar denominated loan or a rupee denominated one. we can assume that the Rupee would depreciate by that rate over the tenure of the loan. July 1-15.00% 6.91% 17.5% Libor+3.00% Floating rate of interest Libor+2.00% 9.00%.38% 17.00% for the firm.50% rupee loan works out to be around 10.0% Libor+3. Depreciation rate of Rs / USD 5.95% which is around the likely cost of Dollar borrowing. the effective interest rates are roughly same for both Dollar denominated loan and a Rupee denominated loan. It is observed that given a fixed interest cost of 10.0% Libor+2.00% 5.00% 6. LIBOR is assumed to be 5. In some cases the rate may be reset every quarter or even earlier. other things remaining equal a higher rate of depreciation of Indian Rupee vis-à-vis Dollar tilts the balance in favor of Rupee denominated loan.00% for conversion of a floating rate to a fixed rate.00% 10. Conclusion.50% 16. LIBOR had crossed the 12.50% 10. The table summarizes the effective rupee rate for Dollar denominated borrowings and the effective Dollar rate for rupee borrowings for a tenure of three years.0% Libor+3.50% 11. the reference rate is reset every six months. Most Indian corporates are presently prepaying their foreign currency loans in the form of ECBs etc.00%.90% 16. Given the present risk perception attached towards India in general (the same has taken a minor beating after the recent default by Essar Steel for its USD 250.97% 16. An increase in rates could adversely affect the cash flows. Indian Rupee denominated loan.00%.00% 6. we have faced this query from many of them time and again.00% Source: Maritime Monitor.60% 16. Rs loan Effective Rs.As per present market conditions.0% mark (January 1985).00% 6.5% Libor+4.00% 10.0 million Floating Rate Note) and a company of medium size in particular.02% to 17. the effective cost of borrowing in Rupee terms is a little more than 16%.00%.
In case of equity offering by the company. Most of these banks however limit their clientele to top rated clients and ignore smaller to medium sized players. 42 In the case of some sectors. Innovate. Equity is associated with uncertainty. have got the higher valuations. They have used knowledge to innovate and devise new growth avenues and options. September 1-15.000 crores).000 oil carrier used in the route required greater draft than what was available. And knowledge represents the fourth factor of production after land. We take TCS as a case study since it is not listed on the Stock Exchanges and has not yet witnessed investor frenzy. In such a scenario. 9. 7. Take the case of Tata Consultancy Services in India. should formulate strategies to gain the attention of the investors. their revenues have grown from Rs. Take the example of Concordia Maritime. 1999 i-maritime . there is no limit to the growth. while some like Centurion Bank offer term loans for duration of only two years. fertilizers. Those who have ventured to be different. where it is rare for a vessel to be selected on any other merit than being the cheapest bidder. Do something new and something that tantamount to real value addition in their own field of operation. Infosys Technologies.Research and Information Division . 17 billion in FY1998-99. We would do well to understand what is happening to the world investment markets. the investment community is enthused about the above stocks. Carriage of oil to Philadelphia involved 70 nautical miles of river navigation. Source: Maritime Monitor. Issue 9. In such a scenario public sector banks may not be the ideal avenue for funding a new acquisition.78 billion to Rs.. Innovation – key to get the investor back One common answer that a fund manager or institutional investor would give in case asked to invest in shipping stocks would be “Why should I invest in shipping and not IT. Poor draft necessitated lighterage operations as the 270. in contrast to the smokestack economy of yesteryears. 0.Shipping finance in India prices may escalate or deflate by the time the loan is sanctioned. Going by the fundamentals of investment. One of the reasons is the entrepreneurial nature of the business in Greece. On the other hand. but these industries will become central (or probably have already become central) to the entire economy. It is the risk capital. the present valuations seem difficult to object to. One such result of this strive to deliver better service to the customers is the birth of what is the Stena V-Max class of vessels – a vessel that has the capacity of a VLCC. Pharma and FMCG stocks?” World over. Loan amounts can be as small as Rs. largely equity financed. Become entrepreneurial. Similar is the story with other such companies.90 billion in FY1996-97 to Rs. Some of the banks like Saraswat Co-operative Banks. i. Most of them are very small and concentrate their operations to a specific geographic region or class of the society. it is a feature that growth patterns are not defined and in the realm of uncertainty. Does this mean that it is the end of the road for shipping companies? Should they lose all hope of attracting equity investors. shipping today is debt driven. which are relatively large. iron and steel etc. Companies like Concordia Maritime have made attempts to add further value to their service through better understanding and knowledge of their customer needs. Cooperative banks – Cooperative banking is a well-established system in states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Private sector banks – Only a few of these banks have taken up exposure to the shipping industry. What is the corresponding growth in the case of The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited? In the corresponding period. Is it possible to succeed in getting back investor’s interests? Is the recent euphoria for infotech stocks a temporary phenomenon and will wane in a short time period? The common thread running through these three industries is knowledge. 8. Even the knowledge-based companies have thrived on equity financing. it is unimaginable what kind of valuations it would command and equally unimaginable about the investors’ gathering it would generate. These industries are central to what Alvin Toffler would have referred to as the third wave economy. From Rs. In the market of oil transportation. have sizeable exposure to the shipping industry. We do not know about how long investors’ interest in these stocks will last. The investor would invest on the expectation of a) b) c) Return Growth. However they do not have the resources to take up exposures to shipping projects where fund requirement is large. The new Stena V-Max can now carry this oil without the need for lighterage operations. not only the shipping industry. We get back to the basics. Trading at a price earnings multiple of 328.2 million needed by small fishermen. Similarly Pharma and FMCG stocks are doing extremely well. but members of other industries like cement. Janakalyan Co-operative Bank. but requires the draft of a Suezmax.0 billion (Rs.e. and Safety. limited in each case. of commanding higher valuations? Or learn a lesson or two from these companies? They too have to change. The turnover has been growing at an abnormal rate by any standards. Recently. labor and capital as defined by Adam Smith. thus saving on operational costs. shipping is largely price driven. Banks like Development Credit Bank offer working capital facility. Greek shipping was till the recent past. Where is the risk that we perceive in companies like The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited and The Shipping Corporation of India Limited? The growth patterns are quite defined and less importantly. 46.80 billion and profitability has fallen. returns generated are constantly above market returns. Assured returns and defined growth within certain limits. the first Indian company to be listed in Nasdaq (USA) achieved new glories with its market capitalization crossing USD 11. it became the 15th largest IT scrip in Nasdaq.1-0.
These institutions finance ships or dredgers who have a firm long term charter arrangement. NBFCs can fund a large proportion of the value of the equipment or vessel.5 billion. are already involved in equipment (asset) financing. In the following inset we have discussed a way out. 9. Indian banks constituted around Rs. Korean EXIM Bank. Generally these institutions look for large sized shipping corporates for term lending exposure.50 billion and the Government around Rs.50 billion. 1 billion. Chowgule. reluctance on part of many banks to take exposure citing greater risks and poor state in equity markets act as hindrance to future growth in Indian shipping. Indian banks contributed around Rs. appraisal techniques and methodologies followed by these institutions are different than conventional banks and FIs. Of the total working capital loan. both in the form of equity as well as debt in companies like Great Eastern. etc. GE Capital Structured Finance Group (SFG). The funding is usually structured in the form of a lease or hire purchase where recourse in case of default by the borrower is easier than in case of term lending Foreign banks and financial institutions – foreign banks and financial institutions which includes Development Bank of Singapore. 10 billion. FIs around 12.5 billion.11 billion and the government around Rs. etc have large exposures. Lending is dependent on the duration of the charter as well as the financial strength of the charterer. 60 billion.Shipping finance in India Non-banking financial institutions – Large NBFCs like Tata Finance. 3. Varun. 15 billion. Recently Essar raised around US $116 million from GE Capital and Boeing Capital for vessel acquisition During FY1999-2000. etc. Lack of sophisticated instruments. Foreign banks around Rs. 0. It was around Rs. the outstanding debt of the shipping industry was around Rs. 0. The portion of capital raised in the form of debentures was relatively less. However. Foreign banks around Rs. Overall shipping finance markets in India is quite underdeveloped. i-maritime .Research and Information Division 43 . IFC (Washington). Srei International Finance. IIT Investments. Out of the total term loan raised.
Usually two laskars took the place of one British seafarer a combined salary which was less than that of the latter. Capt. In the initial decades of the last century. opening up vast opportunities for Indians in shipping companies of developed nations.000 years back. how the relative preferences have changed in the past and the expectations of change in future and suggests steps to be taken by which Indian seafarers can not only retain their present preference by ship owners but also improve upon it. higher productivity.Indians and their role in global shipping industry Indians and their role in the global shipping industry Dominance of Indians in today’s knowledge based economy. CEO of McKinsey. Dilip Menenges. President of United Airlines. Are these instances a reflection of a phenomena of the growing role of Indians in the global shipping industry or merely few standalone events? In the present study. b. augurs well for a country that has lagged behind in development over the last century. Dr. Arun Netravali. was Secretary General of IMO for 16 consecutive years. Indians are today occupying the topmost positions in some of the world’s leading organisations . English communication skill Sincerity and reliability Social / human behavior Emotional attachment to the family Further the study seeks to assess. Indian seafarers. Shrivastva. The new era in India started in mid of the nineteenth century with establishments of trade by East India Company. Nagendra Singh had served as President of IMO for 2 years from 1963 to 1965. reiterating and corroborating the fact that Indians can show the highest level of performance in a global context.Research and Information Division 44 . Indian IT professionals are dominating the IT sector in US and in great demand in Europe as well. Foreign shipowners eventually obliged to the demand. and better command over English vis-à-vis seafarer from other developing countries. President of Bell Labs. protested and demanded higher wages and better working conditions. Establishment of Indian seafarers India’s maritime history goes back to Indus valley civilization 5. Communication and Banking. Director of Citibank. acknowledging implicitly the indispensableness of Indian seafarers on account of their discipline. d. i-maritime . mortality on the way or desertion of British seafarers along the journey. founding member of Sun Microsystems. The parameters are: a. f. The ship owners could now hire Indians at lower wage levels vis-à-vis OECD seafarers. when an active trade relationship existed with Egypt and Mesopotamia.P. working conditions on ships were quite adverse and differentials between salaries of seafarers from developed and developing countries were very high. Jayant Abhyankar is presently serving as Deputy Director of ICC International Maritime Bureau. arose due to illness. we have attempted to assess the relative preference of Indian seafarers vis-à-vis other nationals based on the following parameters which normally affect the demand for seafarer of any nation. Emergence of the Flag of Convenience vessels and international ships in late eighties again increased the demand for Indian seafarers. from 1974 to 1989 and was in forefront in creation of World Maritime University at Sweden. C. Flag of Convenience did away with such restrictions. especially in the field of Information Technology. Indonesia.Rajat Gupta. h. Can the success of Indians in IT. despite the low level of development of these industries in India. Rono Datta. The list goes on and on. Technical qualification and training Physical capacity / fitness Management and negotiation skill Wages or compensation expectations e. without compromising on quality. Vinod Khosla. competition from developing countries such as Philippines. Today. c. despite stiff oppositions from shipowners. The need to recruit Laskars. National flags placed severe restrictions on employment of foreign seafarers as well as on wage levels. g. However. Communication and Banking be replicated in the field of shipping? Can Indians play a dominant role in shaping the future course of the industry as they are doing in various knowledge firms? Dr. the natives of Asia. China and other liberalized Eastern Block of socialist countries have also increased simultaneously over the last few years.
to meet the standards set by the convention in all aspects of technical education. Calcutta.Indians and their role in global shipping industry Shipping industry has only just recovered from a long recession lasting 4-5 years. the Indian subcontinent. Physical capacity and fitness The job on the ship is a tough job with changing climatic conditions and food styles. and Eastern Europe. Filipinos and Chinese are good hard workers. Chinese and Russians. With nearly 40% of OECD officers being over 50 years old. they enjoy preferential treatment in ports due to their racial background. in principle. China has established three marine universities while Philippines has revamped its training system to raise standards. it is opined by various market participants. both officers and ratings for a greater part of last century.Research and Information Division 45 .e. Indians too can go along with different climatic conditions as well food styles.5% share.000 officers and 823. Standards of Training. IMO has revised the competence standards i. With good communication skills and interaction abilities Indians have developed the negotiation skill and can prove good leaders. In India. demand for officers from developing countries is rising. over last few decades there has been a definite shift towards developing countries in the Far East. However. Of the total number of seafarers of 404. Most seafarers from East European countries like Russia and Ukraine are ex-Navy officials and hence highly trained. Additionally.000 ratings. The Indians naturally do adjustments and management of the situation. a percentage that is rising fast. of late the developing countries are catching up. Seafarers from Russia and Ukraine. i-maritime . Indians. An understanding of the reasons underlying such a trend can be found from analysis of the parameters described before and performances of various seafarers on each of these countries. being naval officers. while ratings chiefly come from Far East especially Philippines. Management and negotiation skill Officers from OECD countries.5% in 1995. Most officers from developing countries are Indians although ratings are predominantly from Far East. Tentatively. Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) in 1995. However. OECD have a 27. Publication by IMO of the “white list” of countries which are considered. Indian seafarers have faced the dilemma of rising preference of ship owners and managers for seafarers from countries like East Europe. down from 31. leading to shift in preference from Indians to seafarers from other developing nations. China. For India. Many countries are upgrading their systems to keep pace with the changing standards. The changing nationality of seafarers OECD countries have been the major source of seafarers. LBS College of Advanced Maritime Studies and Research and various other approved training institutes in private sector provide marine education of a standard which is well respected and have been much higher than those in other developing nations. Economic downturn had forced shipowners to look for cheaper manpower to improve bottomlines. East European and Filipinos follow Indians in that order. because of large number of years in sea. are gradually losing out on factors which determined their competitiveness few years back. are however ranked highest. have more experience in management of ships. training and communication. The physical fitness and capacity to resist the changes are a must for the hard work expected on board. Over the last few years. people in the training field strongly feel that Indian training standard fulfills the need of STCW 1995 or even slightly higher than that. Philippines and other developing countries. various government training institutes like Training Ship Chanakya. Marine Engineering and Research Institute. Wages and compensation expectations The OECD country nationals are highest paid amongst seafarers followed by Indians. Today the officers cadre is dominated by OECD followed by India. the white list of the countries will be published by the end of this year. Comparative analysis seafarers Technical qualification and training OECD countries have well-established institutions for training seafarers and standard of marine education are very high.
The ship owners are facing the twin dilemma of rising operating expenses and low freight rates. • Competitive advantage of Indians vis-à-vis seafarers of other developing nations in terms of the knowledge of English and technical qualification is gradually waning away. not changed or at worst. ship owners have to cut salaries to improve profit margins. In the rating market. Russian and Chinese are increasingly adopting English as a second language. at best. Indians are appreciated for their sincerity. Indisciplined behavior on ship as well as on port is normally observed amongst Filipinos. Many ship owners allege that the heritage of commitment and devotion to work as well as the cultured manners. is gradually loosing its preference amongst Indians. which differentiated Indians from seafarers of other nationals in the past. And compared to Indians.Research and Information Division 46 . reliability and responsibility towards their work. The following reasons can be attributed for this: • The last five years have not only seen one of the most severe depressions hitting the shipping market. Sincerity and reliability IMO reports that 80% of the accidents are due to human negligence. • • • i-maritime . On this parameter Chinese. Reasons for Indians loosing the preference The competitive advantage enjoyed by Indians has changed over the years due to both systematic and unsystematic factors. Indians have more attachment towards the family life. Ship owners world over are thus gradually lowering the number of crew and also shifting to seafarers from such countries like Russia and Philippines. Similarly many of the seafarers in Russia and Ukraine are ex-Navy personnel and hence highly skilled. Indians are also known for their peace loving in nature and are able to adjust to varying conditions. Comparatively Russian and Filipinos can stay on board for longer duration. not only in the field of shipping but also in any other industry in a global context.Indians and their role in global shipping industry Fluency in English The official language declared by IMO is a very important prerequisite especially at officers’ level. The possibility of losses can be minimized with a sincere and reliable staff on the board. This puts more burden and responsibility on the shipowner. Behavior OECD country nationals are well mannered and well behaved. as new knowledge based jobs are able to provide better opportunities. but also stringent norms being passed by various bodies increasing operating costs under most heads. Russian. these seafarers are available at considerable low salaries. Filipinos are usually preferred because of their low salary expectations. is gradually waning. command over English and better communication skills. insurance etc. Shipping. East European are at disadvantage although they are gradually catching up. fallen. While China has also set up three maritime universities for maritime education and training. being largely inflexible. So they demand to stay on shore for a longer periods or insist on carrying their families on the ship. Preference towards seafarers of other developing nations has increased even though the same towards Indians has. Most expenses like repairs and maintenance. More emotional attachment for the family leads to greater off-board period increasing the total cost for the shipowner. as a career objective. Emotional attachment to family The total cost of ship owner towards its floating staff is dependent on the on-board and off-board period of the employees.
Indians and their role in global shipping industry Corrective measures Steps that Indian seafarers should take to regain numero uno position: • • • • • They should keep themselves abreast with new technologies and trends in the shipping industry and always be at the higher side of quality standards prescribed by apex bodies and ship owners.Research and Information Division 47 . For the safety of the ship. will help them to get respect and job satisfaction. We are strongly optimistic on this and believe that it is only a matter of time before this happens. Governments should also look in for vocational courses pertaining to various aspects of shipping industry. The ratings market also needs to be given a serious thought. good relation with employer and manning agent. The government as well as industry participants must strive to increase awareness on the maritime sector amongst people. should take initiatives to maintain the standards in the maritime training institutes. It needs to explore the possibilities of founding the high profile technical institutes imparting maritime education on the lines of IITs and IIMs that are highly recognized in the world. the commitment and devotion of the seafarers towards the work is most important. United Airlines and ANZ Grindlays. While the above discussion has focussed on ships. On board behavior. If tapped this can alleviate the employment problem of masses. Indians must be more flexible on their wage expectations. i-maritime . As the seafarers from other developing countries are available at much competitive rate. Just as Indians are leading organisations like Mckinsey. to catch up the market in this depression. The government for its part. Indians should also strive to dominate the corporate world in shipping industry. Indians should always maintain the heritage of commitment. tomorrow it should also come as no surprise if Indians occupy the topmost posts in such global multinationals as P&O or PSA or Leif Hoegh. politeness. reliability and devotion.
transaction costs. Given the diverse locations of the manufacturing units and the market for their products. low cost. especially for the businesses with a very high number of product mixes.8 billion company. compliance of the different regulations and rules. Jan. The whole issue is how best to give value to the final consumer. Some of the major concerns for the shippers are to have access to transparent information on the cargo. It is in this context that different participants need to form a seamless network along the value chain. “Navigation” is necessary to visit and tour the “cyber world” in case of Internet. and “real world” in case of shipping. Narayan Murthy as a prospective buyer of the government’s stake in Shipping Corporation of India? Over the last two years. Given the necessity of developing core competencies and the diverse locations of the sources and destinations of the goods. An enhanced use of information technology can provide solutions to these issues The Internet gives a possibility beyond this. firms don’t compete. employing more than 17. Shipping being a part of the logistics business provides a strong link between the producer and the consumer. Microsoft Chairman and the world’s richest person. Earlier most of the business firms had developed strong Extranets between their partners. While “tech” stocks like Microsoft. The service levels provided by the shipping industry have not been up to the expectations of the shippers. 1-31-2000 So are we seeing a development of interest in the old economy from players in the new one? Does it mean that it would be not very ludicrous to suggest that Azim Premji could be interested in taking up a stake in say Great Eastern? Or say. Amazon. Intel & Wipro. Bill Gates. Issue 17 & 18. Navigate through cyber or real world? Internet and shipping have. low entry barrier and can be used for various purposes. Source : Maritime Monitors. The goods are of a certain value only when they are in the right place at the right time in the desired quality and cost. This helps in achieving better inventory management. Those who are able to provide it better can compete in an open market. New business mantra for the firms is networking among the enabling partners. All these features of the Internet gives tremendous benefits to the firms. has taken up an 8% stake in Newport News Shipbuilding through his investment firm Cascade LLC. and distributors with the end consumer. All the activities of the shipping companies need to revolve around this. in Bill Gates. Now they have a second commonality. if not as fundamental. since nearly a decade. In today’s competitive environment.Shipping Industry in the internet era Shipping industry in the Internet era Internet technology is fostering new ways in which business is done. NIIT. Use of the Internet to conduct day-to-day business is fast becoming a norm. Given the good networking. This can provide a very good value proposition to the consumers.Research and Information Division 48 . The shipping industry is being influenced strongly as it is closely related to the economy and the business environment. Satyam. Bill Gates is now one of the largest shareholders in the firm. the US$ 1. The Internet is fast providing the infrastructure to achieve this. By and large the shipping industry world-wide has not integrated the new technology well. suppliers. The key features of the Internet are that it has open access. and much needs to be done. are reaching new heights. A single website can be used to reach the consumers in any part of the globe. Are we witnessing a reversal in this trend? Supply chain management is being implemented across various industries in order to have a good distribution system. Yahoo. This was done in order to share the information amongst themselves so as to optimise their objective. as the advantages of using the same are enormous. Low cost gives the firm a vast reach to the consumers. In order to achieve this. The force it has brought into business and trade is very powerful. it was very important for the business firms to share information easily among the partners. different firms come together to streamline their processes of value addition so as to provide a superior offering to the consumer. the information flow of goods will also become seamless. it is the networks and their efficiency that compete to win. i-maritime . stock markets worldwide are witnessing a sharp split in the two economies. This is one of the very basic needs that shipping companies have to meet for its consumers. It integrates the firms. thus giving the shipper of goods real time information about the booked cargo. older companies are seeing their stock prices languishing. it is very difficult for a single company to execute the whole process. HCL in India. one fundamental commonality. The shipping companies have to integrate themselves with the other entities in the value chain.000 people and involved in building defense vessels since 1886.
shipping-auction. Such exchanges offering different kinds of services and targeting different segments.maritimei. Shipbroking and Internet Two activities of shipbrokers are considered in this section: • • Sale & purchase of ships in the secondhand market . We study the impact of Internet and various webbased companies called “portals”. shippers and other players can do business.Research and Information Division 49 . They are referred to as “infomediaries” in the cyber world who disseminate information about a market and create a platform on which ship owners. although on a limited scale.netshipbrokers.maritimelink. Shippers can similarly post their requirements for vessel chartering. vessel inspection etc.co.com has provided shipowners and shippers an opportunity to circumvent these intermediaries and lower their cost of transactions. similarly offering information and research. the exchange would match complimentary requirements of the participants. the type of cargo and from where to where. A prospective buyer of a ship can survey a vessel and hold negotiations on a real time basis with other people by use of videoconferencing technologies. In the new economy.they consolidate buyers and sellers in a market that is fragmented due to geographical dispersion as well as the absence of any dominant player. Greek based Internet Shipbrokers’ site com. to build the kind of network and infrastructure that were so essential to succeed in shipbroking in yesteryears. The circulated information also contains contact numbers and addresses so that interested subscribers can make contact directly.com and India based mglobal. Years of operation and well-established infrastructure across various locations in the world were necessary prerequisites for successful operations in a highly competitive environment.com. Participants can also browse through the database in the website directly and perform searches on various fields on an online database. All this. none of the shipbrokers have shown much ingenuity in embracing the new technology.intermediary between a buyer and seller of ship. With improvements in technology. Beyond this. Similar exchanges are being built by Maritime Global Net’s  vessel open positions and S&P requirements submitted by brokers. Shipping companies need to know when the consumers are going to book cargo. Maritime Links has gone for a combination of subscription to reports and advertisements.intermediary between a tramp shipowner and a shipper Shipbroking activity is concentrated around certain maritime centers like London and Singapore. If a match is found. Success has depended upon the building up of a large network with other shipbrokers.netshipbroking. owners and charterers which are subsequently circulated amongst the subscribers via email. The community has always communicated with each other and with clients via traditional and expensive modes of communications like telex and telephone. . These are the most valuable pieces of information to a shipping company and the access to these will make it easier for them to take the right decisions. could be conducted online.shipchartering. which aid various business transactions over the net (referred to as e-business). The coming up of exchanges over the Internet like  The ability of companies to capture information about their consumers is a distinctive strength. How have the brick-and-mortar shipbrokers geared themselves up to this new competition? Will they survive the new age? London-based Clarkson has launched .poten.Shipping Industry in the internet era Information on the customer is now one of the most important asset of the companies. the participant with information about the consumer will play a dominating role in any industry. how much cargo. the concerned members are notified who in turn can contact each other directly for further negotiations. Miami based  Other firms like Manhattan based Poten & Partners have launched sg and  Additionally. Maritime Global provides its services free while Internet Shipbrokers ask for a “minimal fee”.clarkson.com has created a platform for receiving open cargoes.uk. Internet is now challenging these established traditional structures. These sites follow different business models. an even greater portion of offline negotiations. Tramp shipping / vessel chartering . an Internet-based delivery system for research products and market information. The above mentioned portals allow the shipping community to advertise their open positions and post sale & purchase requirements for a fraction of the cost. but do not offer shipbroking services.com.com (not related to i-maritime). have one thing in common . on various sections of the maritime sector. i-maritime .com. without the necessity on the part of such exchanges.
atleast in the short term. A shipper specifies information regarding his cargo. numbering around two thousand. These exchanges aim to reduce the delay and brokering costs associated with identifying and contracting ocean carriers through an auction.com is both similar and radically different from the aforementioned players. Some of the exchanges are aiming to capture the traditional customs compliance.com follow a different model than the above exchanges. Will shipbroking continue to concentrate around such traditional maritime centers as London and Singapore? In matching of ships and bulk cargoes.  This entails a greater degree of face to face interaction. suffer from lack of transparency & information and are forced to accept unreasonable prices. but the carrier must pay a certain portion of the bid amount. Many companies would like to have advice on such issues as market movements. so that shippers can choose on both price and quality and carriers can also compete on both the parameters. i-maritime . The site however discloses the names of the carriers. and then allows carriers to review the bids. was the first to use Information Technology extensively . Some people see an enhanced role of traditional shipbrokers. etc. an area which the newer exchanges might not be able to take up. the auction is open from 1 hour to 21 days. Over half of world’s new and second hand tonnage is bought and sold by Baltic members in a market worth US$ 10 billion annually.com and  Even more threatening to the NVOCC is the intention of some infomediaries to manage all of the information that accompanies the physical flow of goods.Shipping Industry in the internet era Success in ship broking is largely dependent upon client/broker relationship and build-up of trust and confidence between the two. cargo booking and container tracking as well as information on sailing schedules via the net. A similar model is followed by com follows a different strategy where instead of shippers submitting bids to which carriers respond. within 24 hours. formulation of contract agreement. Shippers can submit requests for container space at a given price and then review several offers proposed by carriers. a greater number of participants are expected to join in offering their quotes leading to an increase in liquidity. but the websites which are most user friendly and comprehensive. etc. The latter enables the shipper to choose not only on the basis of price but also to select a particular carrier (and hence quality). What impact would these infomediaries have on chartering rates offered by shipping companies or buy & sale prices of secondhand vessels? With a global reach achieved at a fraction of the cost and a more transparent setup vis-à-vis existing structures.com operate online exchanges where shippers post information about their requirements and shipowners bid.freight-on-line. especially container trade. however here the service is free for the carrier while the shipper pays a fee.freightgate. Celarix also allows shippers to request bids only from certain preferred carriers as opposed to making their request accessible to all relevant carriers.celarix. Maersk-Sealand. The exchange then delivers. A large number of portals have sprung up in the recent past to aid shippers and shipping companies to enter into spot market contracts – which account for around 30% of the transactions and which are dominated by freight forwarders and Non-vessel owning container companies (NVOCCs).shipping-auction.oceanexchange. All the three exchanges are provided free access to the shipper. date of shipment etc. are offering services like tariff enquiry. However future maritime centers need not be cities where brickand-mortar brokers operate.initially in the form of proprietary systems and later via internet.com. is close to around 50% in case of tankers and 30-40% of dry bulk chartering business worldwide. a feature that the internet might not be able to provide that the brickand-mortar exchanges can claim as a competitive advantage. And in the process the exchanges are threatening to divert business from the brick-and-mortar NVOCCs. loading / unloading points.Research and Information Division 50 . the contact information of the lowest-cost carrier (bids made by other carriers are not disclosed to the shipper). Here the carriers post unused vessel space and then shippers bid for these spaces. shipment tracking and other information intensive tasks that NVOCCs once managed. Shippers. Further. often small scale ones. The former is focused on providing the lowest rates for shippers through an auction. FreightGate requires that shippers enter their requests at a preferred price. In the latter. In such a scenario a more efficient “price discovery” would result. free access to the internet portals without verification of identity of participants means possibility of manipulation and rigging. eraterequest.com and  market share of London based brokers. provides a marketplace on which carriers and shippers can link.  Celarix.gocargo. like the above players. Various container lines including American President Lines. as a deluge of data and information due to the internet necessitates the expertise to analyze them. Liner Shipping and Internet Liner shipping. 
companies have been doing business for a long period of time by using Intranets and EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). both shippers and carriers have to pay a fee while in the latter only the shipper is required to pay a fee. In the Indian context. Advantages far outweigh the risks involved in the e-commerce platform. in addition to other things.Research and Information Division 51 . this threat has been minimised to a large extent. with the advent of the Internet. On selection of a certain yard. However. expected financing terms. There are large number barge builders at different geographic locations . they risk cannibalizing their existing analog systems. Some of these exchanges could act as “price deflators”. the whole way of communicating electronically has changed business and trade. However. etc. size. Second. If they do submit a bid. there is more container movement from Asia to Europe and America than there is going back. by bringing in more transparency in operations and by carrying out auction amongst the carriers.com carry out sufficient checks on the information provided by the participants.” Finally. etc). But given the predominance of information i-maritime . “…First. The reach and low cost of the Internet makes it one of the most popular mediums for e-commerce. Part of the movement is because of the lack of an efficient mechanism to look up for potential shippers – a problem that many websites are aiming to solve. the adoption process is still in the early adopters stage. e-commerce has crossed the stage of early adopters. A recent study “Marine shipping in transition: the rise of infomediary” by three students from Harvard Business School finds that the traditional intermediaries are now threatened by the new infomediaries. Subsequent due diligence and detailed negotiations could be carried out in the traditional manner. Adoption of e-commerce E-commerce as defined by WTO is the distribution. Shipyards and internet The shipyard industry has yet to make any brave strides to embrace the internet. dry bulk. the sector also holds tremendous opportunities for internet and e-commerce.com. which. But with the improvements in the technology and protocols. but do not facilitate any form of transaction over the net. A study by Drewry Consultants of London last year estimated that one-fifth of all containers moved by ships were empty. the real potential of e-commerce on the Internet is in the Business to Business (B2B) segment.com and oceanexchange. Take the barging industry in India. accounting for around US$ 11 billion a year in unwanted shipping costs.a fact that deters a shipowner to approach and negotiate with each of them because of time and cost factors.com have a very poor (or none at all) check on authenticity of information provided by shippers and carriers. Security of transactions has been one of the major concerns in the Internet. This will affect all the transactions that are economic in nature. and invite various shipyards to provide their quotations.Shipping Industry in the internet era Shippers view each auction and decide whether to bid or not. they are e-mailed each time they are out-bid during the auction period by. ore carrier. In the developed country. This stage in the adoption of new technology is the largest segment and during this phase it is going to experience the most rapid growth. desired date of delivery. some like celarix. help in minimizing costs involved in container repositioning. However. This leaves room for price manipulation and rigging. they lack the technical personnel and Internet-savvy to populate such a business in the short term. in the words of one industry expert. it is not clear that the management within the intermediaries necessarily acknowledges the infomediary threat…” These portals. sale or delivery of goods and services by electronic means. In oceanexchange. the specifications (as offered by the selected yard) could be resubmitted for getting competitive offers from other shipyards. marketing. It is now set to jump to the next level of early majority. Using the electronic means. existing intermediaries are unable to take advantage of the net. this difference in trade volume in either direction does not account for the entire empty container movement. Some of the waste is inevitable. The sheer growth in the number of Internet users worldwide is a proof of this. This exchange would enhance the reach of the shipowner and help him get better quotes and negotiate with larger number of yards even while saving on time and costs. An exchange where a shipowner wanting to build a new ship could post his broad specifications in terms of type (liquid. It has also become clear now that more than the Business to Consumers (B2C) segment. “are so disorganized and cryptic as to justify the rates they’ve charged shippers for years. However. Many shipyards have their own corporate websites giving information about the company. Some of the sites like eraterequest. freight rates are expected to decrease – something witnessed even in other industries. However.com and gocargo.
com. The portal has tied up with various ports in India to provide data. the site boasts of a database of 40. Although quantum of data on each of these is Source : Maritime Monitor. The business section. Maritimei.com is a different website. manning requirements. we know of. While shipping has been a laggard.again not just for the maritime sector but also for air and surface transport industry. The portal aims to eventually become an exchange for various shipping related transactions like chartering. Similar sounding Shippingonthenet.forbesbest. The market place is free for all . September 1-30-2000 quite limited. Overall. The offer was readily accepted without even the minimal validation and put for display. as per initial information. Shippingonweb. The Shipping industry has been a laggard in the adoption of information technology. The market place could be easily misused and hence we do not expect it to become popular amongst industry participants.com (quite close to our firm's name i-maritime) founded by an ex-mariner with years of experience. and fluctuations in vessel parameters quite frequent. The portal also has a database of around 2000 ports and berths. Further. Transportersindia. has been developed by a web consulting firm. This adoption has been very slow in the shipping industry. While some of them seem to have done their homework thoroughly. Indiaport. By making registration mandatory.com has a truly international perspective. carriers and transporters. But it takes a bit of effort to relate Bollywood masala. Fee would be charged for successful transactions on the portal.probably Indian ones to start up with.com.com/b2b/asp/industry. Eventually the portal wishes to establish itself as an ecommerce portal . They can meet and exchange information on the web quite unmindful of the physical distance between them. Further. The market place is again no more than a uncensored bulletin board where people can post their requirements or view others requirements. While the previously covered websites were more Indian in their approach. this portal is India specific.com calls itself a "common e-marketplace". the portal has a basic authentication process in place.com is a average site. is a dampener. (More updated information on vessel position is available at  But it is expected that in the near future the shipping industry will also take on the advantages of the new technology. contains a request for such quotes from an unknown person on 15th March 2000.000 vessels with basic technical data and information on owners. although we have not been able to test its effectiveness. at certain Indian locations. tracking of containers and cargo. although the database seems to be have been prepared perfunctorily. Singapore and Rotterdam are some key examples. Such dilution of focus is unwarranted. promoted by Essar Shipping is a well made portal with a fairly large repository of data on global shipping sector. like cargo booking. list of various service providers across the globe and list of various charters. Analysts argue that neutrality is a prerequisite for successful commerce. Source of data on secondhand market prices of various types of vessels is unknown neither is date on which such prices existed mentioned. Issue 33. which prove how the efficiency increases with adoption of information technology. In contrast to being global as shippingstop. would easily highlight the reason for our skepticism about most Indian maritime portals. as ranked by Forbes and available at http:// ship supplies and also plans to cover other allied sectors like shipbreaking and shipyards. catering to the industry.Shipping Industry in the internet era Maritime portals in India The Internet and e-commerce boom has led to a spurt of portals in nearly every industry. In such a scenario. Indian humor and Indian women online with the turbulent seas that is so common to shipping. we would recommend our readers to visit this website. expected to provide quotes for stevedoring charges in Indian ports. i-maritime . technology in the country and its awareness it is expected that Internet. The world majors like Maersk-Sealand have started booking cargo through the Internet.com and. Some of the major ports in the world have long embraced information technology to reap the benefits. even for accessing basic information. This reduces the overall cost associated with the documentation. Shippingstop.com) The site cannot boast of such parentage as shippingstop.com is a much better portal by a London based company while the domain name shippingontheweb.Research and Information Division 52 . in opposition to the shipping sector. another backdrop of this portal is that some of the time sensitive information (vessel position at ports) is outdated and hence of little use. the portal might need to tie up with more shipping companies . We thought shipping is almost a synonym for uncertainty. sourcing spare parts. Visit to some of the best logistics and transportation portals.com is up for sale. The site gives a list of forwarders. Readers should note that indiaports. In the last few months a couple of portals catering to the shipping and maritime sectors have come up. chartering. it has gradually caught up with the trend and today there are nearly a hundred sites that. sale and purchase. other leave a lot to be desired. shippingstop. One factor could prove to be a hurdle for the portal . Such facilities seem to justify fears of many industry participants to transact through the Internet because of lack of identity of the opposite partner. The author filled up offers for transportation of textiles from Timbuktu1 to Timbuktu2. ethnic Indian cusine. The advantages of Internet can be in aspects of shipping. as a concept will be rapidly accepted. One of the best features of the website is the database on vessels.eximindia.com is only slightly more than a collection of web links to a few maritime national and international associations. positions itself as the "global maritime e-biz portal".authenticity of person submitting quotes to transport or for transportation is not checked. It is surprising that India does not have a maritime portal of world class standard.perception of neutrality. other shipowners might not use the platform given that it has been developd by Essar. the site could be the right place to begin for a person looking for detailed information. even though the country is home to some of the leading web consulting and developing firms in the world. its main emphasis is on ports.asp. All these activities are going to benefit as the parties on each side can have easy and cheap access of information. More and more companies are realising the opportunities that open up by adopting it. For participation in the exchange to conduct business.
K.400 021. P. Pinto S. C.) (Director Marketing. Marwah (Former Chairman cum Managing Director. H. Ghildiyal K. Joshi (Chairman & Managing Director) (Personnel & Administration) (Finance) (Technical and Offshore) (Container) (Liner) (Ministry) (Ministry) (Ministry) Non-official / part-time Directors on Board § § § § § M. K. Srivastava B. Indian Institute of Management-Lucknow) (Former Vice Chairman and Chairman cum Managing Director. Mumbai . Industrial Development Bank of India) (Director. Indian Oil Corporation) Number of vessels: Corporate ranking in Indian shipping sector: 117 1 i-maritime . Singhal O. Madam Cama Road. G. K. Shanmugam A.Research and Information Division 54 . 245. P. Singh N. S. N. Bank of India) (Former CMD.Company analysis Shipping Corporation of India Limited Fact sheet Registered office Shipping House. Palit M. Rangnekar A. Khan Dr. M. K. Shipping Credit and Investment Company of India Ltd. Kothari K. Bhide S. India Tel : +91-22-202 6666 Fax: +91-22-202 6905 Promoter Government of India Board of Directors § § § § § § § § § P. Rastogi R.
Company analysis Major events at a glance 1950 1956 1961 Eastern Shipping Corporation (ESC) was established Western Shipping Corporation (WSC) was established Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) came into being as a result of amalgamation of ESC & WSC Management of Jayanti Shipping Company Limited was taken over by the Government of India SCI fleet crossed 1 million DWT mark Jayanti Shipping Company Limited became subsidiary of SCI Jayanti Shipping was merged with SCI SCI fleet crossed 2 million DWT mark Irano-Hind Shipping Company. which include two profit centers covering liner and passenger & bulk carrier and tanker operations. 3 billion 1966 - 1970 1971 1973 1973 1975 - 1975 1976 1978 - - 1981 1986 1988 1992 - 1998 1999 - 1999 - 2000 - i-maritime . SCI fleet crossed 5 million DWT mark Mogul Line Limited was merged with SCI Maritime Training Institute (MTI) was set up at Powai. Bombay SCI’s status changed from private limited company to public limited company with the government disinvesting 18. to meet the challenges faced by SCI in view of its expanded tonnage & recessionary trends affecting International shipping Under the reorganization.5% of its share in favor of Financial Institutions and mutual funds SCI acts as Nodal Agency for shipping of crude imports Partial dismantling of Administered Price Mechanism in oil industry End of Cost Plus Formula regime in crude shipping and implementation of market related freight rates SCI enters highly specialized LNG shipping by picking up 20% stake in Greenfield Shipping Company Limited Government grants mini-ratna status to SCI giving it the autonomy to take decisions upto Rs. the main functions in SCI have been broadly grouped five divisions.Research and Information Division 55 . Ahmedabad. a joint shipping company was established as a result of economic and cultural accord signed between the Government of Iran and Government of India SCI fleet crossed 3 million DWT mark SCI fleet crossed 4 million DWT mark New management structure was evolved in consultation with Indian Institute of Management.
III. June 1999 % share holding 5. Bombay. Top 50 shareholders (Not covered under I. Initially. This will lead to the withdrawal of financial and cargo support from the government.2 mn DWT. the government recently granted mini-ratna status to SCI giving the board autonomy for taking investment decisions upto Rs. Corporate Bodies (Not covered under I & II) IV. Directors & their relatives V. Distribution of equity shareholdings (as on April 12. Irano-Hind Shipping Company. Others Total Source: The Stock Exchange Official Directory. bulk. more autonomy has come in its management decisions. i-maritime . This divestment will lead to shift in management control from the government to any of the international shipping lines like Mitsui. Lakshadweep Administration. 1975 as a result of an agreement between the Governments of Iran and India. ESC was assigned routes in the Eastern trades chiefly Australia. Geological Survey of India./Govt. was set up in March. The former was the first public sector shipping corporation established in 1950 with 74 percent equity participation by the government and remaining by Scindia Steam Navigation Company Limited. compelling SCI to acquire vessels by way of deferred credit from shipyards and funds generated internally. nationalised banks and mutual funds. Liner & Passenger Services (L&PS) and Technical & Offshore Services (T&OS). NOL etc. SCI today has fleet strength of 117 vessels of around 5 million DWT. Govt. Japan and Malaya.32 0. owned 51 percent by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and 49 percent by SCI. The fleet is highly diversified. This is in view of the government’s proposal to disinvest 40 percent of its stake to a strategic partner. PwC carried out a SWOT analysis of SCI’s business and operations and suggested an integrated plan of action. It has its fleet operations in three specialised areas namely Bulk & Tanker Services (B&T). Further. with liberalisation. The following table exhibits the distribution of equity shareholding in SCI. 0. The government is further considering the disinvestment of 40-55 percent of its stake in SCI.10 6. Jayanti Shipping Company and Mogul Lines were merged with SCI in 1973 and 1986 respectively. 2 billion in case of replacement tonnage and Rs. Two private lines. this stake in SCI was offered to various Indian oil majors in public and private sector.12 percent with the disinvestment of 19. whose stake was later taken over by government in 1956. Management and group structure GoI shareholding in SCI now stands at 80. sponsored Financial institutions III. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and the National Institute of Oceanography. SCI recently appointed management consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for restructuring its business.00 In the past. This includes cap of Rs. West Asia and America. reefer and specialized container cargo carrying vessels. Western Shipping Corporation Ltd.5 billion earlier. encompassing nearly every shipping sub-sector. 3 billion instead of Rs. 1 billion for new acquisition. Director General of Lighthouses & Lightships. The company in the past was able to attract substantial budgetary support and concessional finance for placing shipbuilding orders with Indian yards.IV) VI. who have shown interest in taking up stake in SCI. but the government received lukewarm response leading to the present offer to international lines.2 million DWT which includes breakbulk.II. In 1956.10 0. Maersk. (WSC) was established to serve the countries west of India like Europe. a joint venture in Iran. concessional finance was stopped. However.00 0. Additionally. the company mans and manages vessels of government authorities like Andaman & Nicobar Administration. Far East.07 100. by amalgamating Eastern Shipping Corporation and Western Shipping Corporation. but with the induction of MOU based performance monitoring. which will result in SCI losing its status of a public sector company and becoming a private sector company.1998) Category I.Research and Information Division 56 .42 88. SCI was largely governed by bureaucratic red tape with frequent intervention of MOST in its day-today affairs.Company analysis Shipping Corporation of India was set up by the Government of India in 1961 as a 100 percent owned enterprise with 19 ships of 0.88 percent government holding to financial institutions. The company owns 8 ships of about 0. This led to tremendous growth in fleet size. Foreign Holdings II.
2 49.6 491.4 136. Out of its total tonnage capacity of 5 million tons. The average age of the SCI fleet is 15.051. the dry bulk carriers and crude oil tankers account for 19 percent and 49 percent of the capacity respectively. In the overseas fleet.9 93. 1999) No.0 35.0 86. the fleet strength stands reduced to 117 vessels as on December 31.0 597.7 years respectively.487. SCI constitutes 23 percent of the Indian fleet in terms of the number of vessels.1 102.7 17.1 13.1 35.3 63.Company analysis PwC has recommended the government to restructure the company into three independent entities. The overseas fleet of SCI is younger than its coastal fleet with their average ages being 15.Research and Information Division 57 .8 13. the overseas fleet accounts for 97 percent.9 million DWT as on June 1992. The proposal has faced stiff opposition from employees. Fleet analysis Fleet profile With 117 ships.7 89. 1999.4 years and 20. i-maritime . The table given below exhibits the fleet profile of SCI.1 9.9 3.405.5 1. The table below exhibits the age profile of SCI fleet.8 246.6 65.953. The company’s fleet size has largely stagnated over the last 10 years.6 5. From 126 vessels with total cargo carrying capacity of 4.7 Overseas: Dry cargo Liner Dry bulk cargo carrier Tanker (crude oil) Tanker (product carrier) Cellular container Ore Oil bulk carrier Acid carrier LPG carrier Total (overseas) Coastal: Cargo carrying vessels: Tanker (crude oil) Tanker (product carrier) Passenger-cum-cargo Total (cargo) Non-cargo carrying vessels: OSV's Total (non-cargo carrying vessels) Total (coastal) Total (overseas & coastal) Source: i-maritime 2 2 2 6 10 10 16 117 50.6 2.0 5.896. Fleet profile of SCI Type of vessels (as on December 31.3 82. Age profile One third of the company’s fleet in terms of gross tonnage is over 20 years.2 4.9 154.9 17.2 Shipping Corporation of India constitutes 44 percent of the Indian fleet capacity in terms of deadweight tonnage. to 5 million DWT largely as a result of scrapping of older vessels and acquisition of newer and larger tonnage. only marginally. Each entity would be in command of vessels of a particular shipping segment.9 133. the total deadweight has increased. of vessels GRT ('000) 27 24 26 14 3 2 3 2 101 349.6 years.9 987. the company has a presence in nearly all segments of shipping and offshore.4 DWT ('000) 468.2 2.5 303. The overseas fleet constitutes 86 percent of its total vessels. However.1 30. slightly higher than the average age of the Indian fleet.056.
0 25.5 3 65.2 13 vessels representing about 19.9 1018.2 13 64.1 13.3 9.1 17 428. 4 tankers have already crossed 25 years and another 8 are expected to do so in the next 2 years.051.2 20 8 10.225.Research and Information Division 58 .8 7.0 22.8 1.3 15.2 13 17 47 588.3 979. that would cross their economic life.7 2.2 656.0 20 13 14 25 588.0 45.2 1.9 3 63.4 1. GRT No.2 19 2 8 3 2 34 249.6 18 651.720.0 15.3 485. Of the 44 tankers (crude & product).8 50.2 1 11.4 14.Company analysis Age profile of SCI fleet (as on December.9 13.4 - - - - - - 2 1 3 10 10 50.8 19 491. SCI vessels above economic life (as on December 31. The following table exhibits the company’s vessels having surpassed their economic life.1 2 35.8 2 43.6 4 123.9 290. 1999) Type of vessels Overseas: Dry cargo Liner Dry bulk cargo carrier Tanker (crude oil) Tanker (product carrier) Cellular container Ore Oil bulk carrier Acid carrier LPG carrier Total (overseas) Coastal: Cargo carrying vessels: Tanker (crude oil) Tanker (product carrier) Passenger-cum-cargo Total (cargo) Non-cargo carrying ves’l: OSV's Total (non-cargo carrying vessels) Total (coastal) Total (overseas & coastal) Source: i-maritime ('000 GRT) Under 5 years 5 to 9 years 10 to 14 years 15 to 19 years 20 years & above Average No.5 2 44.2 613. are expected to lead to substantial costs for SCI as well as lead to reduction in tonnage carrying capacity.092.3 71.7 4 123.7 15. By 2005 the present fleet will consist of 47 vessels.281.8 25 30 30 1 8.8 20.5 18 651.2 1.5 25.8 5.4 513.1 1 51.5 1.5 18.5 20.0 1 51. GRT age 1 28.2 971.1 13.3 26 708.6 38. i-maritime .3 21.9 5 372. representing about 42 percent of the gross tonnage and 44 percent of deadweight.4 15.0 8.0 39 772.1 2 1 3 3 37 30.9 38.1 8.2 1.9 38.163. of vessels GRT ('000) DWT ('000) as per MOST 2000 2002 2005 2000 2002 2005 2000 2002 2005 25 3 13 42.2 2 58. 1999) Type of vessel Bulk carriers/Liners Tankers (crude & product) Acid carriers LPG carriers Coastal vessels OSV's Total Source: i-maritime Economic age No.6 6 145.8 15.3 3 69.1 11 416.9 12.0 7 88.5 The IMO regulations calling for modification of single hull tankers above 25 years. GRT No. Many of the older tonnages have been sold by SCI by the time this report came into publication. GRT No.2 percent of gross tonnage and 20.1 0.051. GRT No.1 133.8 percent of deadweight have crossed their economic life as defined by Ministry of Surface Transport.
would hold 60% and 20% stake in the company respectively.Research and Information Division 59 . SCI’s liner operations. exposing the company to competitive forces as well as increasing the volatility of its earnings.K. India-US (east-coast)/ Canada. SCI’s role as nodal agent for import of crude has been revamped. SCI operates in the India-UK route in alliance with Zim Lines of Israel and Yang Ming Lines of Taiwan. coal and other bulk commodities. as a result individual oil companies can directly award shipping contracts to shipowners other than SCI. Increase in total oil refining capacity in the country from 70 million tonnes to around 110 million tonnes now and around 130 million tonnes in next 2 years. This raises question on the deployment of the product tanker as well as the LPG fleet of SCI. Thus. In addition to its own vessels. the division is incurring losses. an Enron affiliate. Second. SCI needs to acquire a fleet of VLCC’s in the near future in order to be able to maintain its present market share. SCI operates regular passenger-cum-cargo services between the mainland ports of Calcutta/Chennai/Visakhapatnam and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The venture has been formed for construction. In commercial terms. Some of the SCI bulk carriers are also involved in cross trading. Mitsui O. SCI plans to reduce its breakbulk fleet from 23 to 15 vessels in a phased manner.K. SCI also mans and manages passenger carriers of Andaman & Nicobar administration and Lakshadweep administration.Company analysis Operations Liner and Passenger services SCI operates break-bulk cum container services along major routes like India-U. have largely been governed by national social obligations rather than commercial reasons. continent. Thus Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited has subsequently appointed Great Eastern for import of crude. Dismantling of the Administered Price Mechanism (APM) and other steps in the oil industry pose two threats to the company. The liner service is suffering due to overall reduction in availability of breakbulk cargoes leading to stiffer competition and resulting in reduced freight rates. For one the cost-plus method of remuneration has been replaced by market related rates. Tanker SCI has a 70% stake in the total crude oil imports of around 40 million tonnes made in India. Recently SCI and Contship Container Lines entered into an agreement for providing direct container services between the Indian subcontinent and US East Coast. ownership and operation of one LNG tanker for transporting LNG from Enron’s gas field in i-maritime . fertilizers. Lines of Japan and Atlantic Commercial Finance Inc. is expected to substantially reduce product imports from their present level of around 20 million tonnes. incorporated in Cayman Islands. Similar services are offered between the mainland ports of Cochin/Calicut and Lakshadweep islands. These bulk carriers play a key role in the export of iron ore from India to Japan and import of wheat and coking coal from Australia.S. The company has taken up 20% stake in Greenfield Holding Company Limited. however presence of SCI in the trade has prevented other operators to raise freight rates thereby benefiting Indian shippers. Bulk and Tanker services Bulk carriers SCI with its sizeable fleet of bulk carriers and OBO carriers is engaged in the transportation of iron ore. Liquefied Natural Gas SCI is the first Indian company to make a foray into LNG transportation. Oil companies like Reliance are looking for ways to reduce costs by capitalising on the economies of scale. Reliance has chartered VLCC’s from international shipowner’s for oil imports from Africa. India-Japan/Far East and India-South Africa. especially general cargo. of the United States.
SCI provides logistic support to ONGC by deploying its Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels (AHTSVs) on a long-term charter basis. modification. T. Directorate of Light Houses & Light Ships. SCI recently signed a contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. This move.000 cbm tanker. However.5 billion to just 21 vessels of 1.Company analysis the Persian Gulf to its Dabhol Power Plant in Maharashtra. The possibility of fulfilling acquisition plan for 17 vessels of around 1. change in trade patterns since the acquisition plan was conceptualized. if successful.13 million DWT. Well Stimulation Vessel and Multipurpose Support Vessel of ONGC on a contract basis. the company has been able to acquire only 4 vessels of 0. an associate company of the Germany-based Martrade Shipping. Japan. LNG imports are expected to cross 40 million tonnes by 2010. will help SCI secure and expand its existing services. a joint venture between four public sector oil majors. extension of life. SCI has bid for the management of Mumbai Port Trust’s (MbPT) general cargo terminal in association with Mumbai based United Liner Agency (ULA) and Ukraine-based Novolog. Geological Survey of India and other government agencies for executing their various projects related to ship acquisition. procedural issues affecting project approvals and limited powers of SCI’s board due to political and bureaucratic intervention. The move represents SCI’s foray into port operations. a phenomenon common amongst liner operators world over. Ltd. The firm has also placed orders for 1 Aframax with Cochin Shipyard Limited. The venture has already placed an order with Mitsubishi Shipyard. The contract is for an annual carriage of 7. UTL Administration. a 135. South Korea for the acquisition of four Aframax crude oil tankers of 110.69 million DWT.5 million tonnes between Qatar and India. upgradation etc. for building M. These vessels are expected to be delivered to SCI by 2003. Besides this. SCI operates and maintains (O&M) specialised vessels viz. It also recently took delivery of the last of 3 Handymaxes that were built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited i-maritime .Research and Information Division 60 . Technical and Offshore services SCI provides technical consultancy to A & N Administration.. 2000.000 DWT each on June 1. Till date. Tonnage acquisition SCI has down sized its fleet acquisition programme for the ninth plan (1997-2002) from 53 vessels of 2. 57. Geophysical/ Seismic Survey Vessel. The LNG sector offers significant opportunities to Indian shipping lines.38 million DWT at a budget of Rs. The company has also bided for the carriage of LNG for Petronet LNG. LNG Laxmi. difficulties in raising required funds. This shows lack of autonomy of the board despite SCI being granted mini-ratna status.5 million DWT in the next 2 years looks remote because of recession in the global freight markets.
0 billion (nine times the current market capitalization of the company). the conclusion drawn more often than not is that it will lead to improvement in performance. The share price had touched a maximum of Rs. does lead to increased efficiency in operations of the firm and larger value creation for the society. from its present shareholding of 81%. 95. Few months back when the share price had touched a high of Rs. etc. primarily interested in financial returns on an investment. To get a better valuation. As per various market reports. with a hands-off approach on management of the firm. Indian oil companies were initially recognized as strategic partners and hence an offer to buy stakes was initially made to them. billion) 3.6 11. Feb 1-29. at best.6 billion. countries and time zones it has been proven quite emphatically that privatization. the company’s market capitalization is only Rs. one way or the other. 41. 45. one should note that such clauses would have a negative impact on a potential investor and should be nullified with appropriate sweeteners like tax breaks or concessional finance on reserved fleet. as per various market sources. but none of them showed interests in the proposal. Examples include a shipping company like Mitsui and Maersk or companies using the services of shipping industry like an oil refinery or cement manufacturer. undisrupted flow of which is essential for the economy. is yet to materialize.0 27. the liner fleet of SCI is run at uneconomical rates. On the other hand. 13 per share. Government should however retain 26% share in the company.6 45. these players have already shown interest in taking up 40% share in SCI. to the operations of the firm. be reluctant to invest at all. However. the government would have equal power and this could prove unattractive to the buyer. SCI transports around 70% of the imports of crude into the country. 3.0 18. is an example of a non-strategic investor. Similarly. Maersk. These issues need to be seriously deliberated and discussed so that a win-win situation is created by the process of disinvestment not only for the government and strategic investor. is around Rs. another 10% stake reserved for private sector refineries like Reliance and Essar also failed to generate any interest. While the company has a share of only 10% in this trade. the net asset value (NAV) per share of SCI is around Rs. Across various industries. Improvement in performance Will privatisation lead to improvements in the performance of the company? Well this subject has been discussed innumerable times by various institutions and experts. a leading LNG transporter would get an opportunity to increase its presence in LNG trade in India through a strategic investment in SCI. 2000 i-maritime . The idea that was brought up almost 2 years back in line with the recommendations of the Disinvestment Committee. Various issues need to resolved before the divestment procedure is taken any further: Valuation What is the appropriate valuation of SCI? At present market price of Rs. an oil company really does not have much say in the operations of the firm with a 10% stake and this partly accounts for the disinterest shown by them. Only by giving a majority shareholding can the government demand a premium. it has been able to keep freight rates charged to Indian shippers by foreign companies at low levels. Issue 19 & 20. has multiple ramifications. 11. However. How does one encompass these widely fluctuating share prices to deduce the most appropriate valuation of Shipping Corporation? The situation gets further complicated if one considers the market value of the fleet of SCI.0 billion. The main objective behind such an investment by a strategic investor is to capitalize on synergies that could emerge. a larger proportion of shareholding needs to be put on sale.6 billion.Company analysis Divestment in SCI The government’s decision to divest 40% in Shipping Corporation of India. Further. As per estimates made by i-maritime. Strategic partner How does a strategic partner differ from a non-strategic one? A financial institution or bank. the market capitalization stood at Rs.2 § § § § § Will privatization of SCI lead to sacrifice of interests related to national security? Will privatization lead to improvement in performance of the company? Will this lead to better and more competitive rates for shippers? What is the appropriate valuation of the 40% stake being offered by the government? Is 40% the right amount to be divested? Who is a strategic partner? Is a foreign shipping company one? A strategic buyer with 40% stake is not expected to get full management control and thus would. 27. sufficient as per Company’s Act 1956 to block any special resolution. National security Merchant navy is considered the fourth arm of defense. the government tried to elicit interests amongst the public sector oil majors like IOC. Existing operations of the investor are related. financial institutions & mutual funds and public. Subsequently. Methodology Market Capitalization Net Asset Value Book Value Date March 2000 October 1999 January 1994 December 1999 March 1999 Valuation (Rs.Research and Information Division 61 . NOL etc. the government planned to sell off the stake to a “strategic partner” which could also include any of the large foreign shipping majors like Mitsui. a strategic investor is less interested on the immediate financial returns. Under the proposed shareholding structure. demand a lower valuation and at worst. A strategic buyer is expected to demand management control over the firm. Divestment of 40% shareholding to a strategic partner would lead to government and the buyer holding 40% each while financial institutions & others would hold remaining 20%. atleast for the time being. based on this measure. Source: Maritime Monitor. The question is can an undisrupted flow be guaranteed if ownership of SCI passes on to an Indian private corporation or even a foreign concern? Probably the government could incorporate clauses whereby a section of the fleet would be available at its discretion during times of emergency. BPCL and HPCL for a 30% stake. Appropriate level of divestment Presently government owns 80% of SCI while the remaining 20% is held by banks. 160 (in January 1994). if undertaken properly. the market capitalization stood at Rs. Initially. but also the customers and the general public. This implies that the total market value of the company. A private operator would not agree to incur such losses which would result in increased freight rates being charged to Indian shippers. Mitusi.
Company analysis Financial analysis The following two tables exhibits the salient aspects of SCI’s financials over the last four years. a.a. 1999 2. 60 and Rs.215 6. SWOT analysis Strengths § § § § More than 50 years of experience (including experience of ESC and WSC) Largest operator in Indian industry commanding 44 percent of the Indian tonnage. million) 1996-97 14. tankers. i-maritime .418 29.823 n.603 1997-98 16.013 4. : not available 2000 2.333 4.584 19.823 6. n.823 14.Research and Information Division 62 .364 1998-99 18. This stagnation reflects a similar stagnation in the fleet profile of the company.043 1.151 1998 2.499 724. containers liner etc.823 16.225 (Rs. Unlike most other shipping companies.014 29. which is much below the average rates achieved by shipowners in the private sector. 100 respectively.881 30.960 (Rs. n. Well developed marketing network for its container operations. Profit and Loss Account TCE earnings from shipping Profit from sale of ship Total Turnover PBDIT Interest Net profit Cash profits 1999-00 20.2.148 5.2 as on March. The company has dominant presence in every market segment viz. This leaves a lot of room to raise fresh debt to finance expansion.462 4. having grown at an annualized rate of 5%.823 18.004 2.379 865 2.420 7. which stand at around Rs.121 1.1 in 1994-95. n.616 4.a. has resulted in a steady fall in profitability at an annualized rate of 12% over the same time period. The stock price at Rs.700 26 25. 20 is much below the Book Value or Net Asset Value of the scrip.012 4.662 5.637 Total turnover of the company has stagnated over the last 4 years.a.a. having steadily fallen from a high of 2. The company being in the public sector enjoys considerable cargo and price support from government. Despite a not-so-strong Income Statement. The company’s scrips command rather low valuations in the stock markets and are traded at price earnings multiple of around 2.744 19.121 17. the Balance Sheet of the company is quite healthy. coastal. Depression in nearly every segment of the shipping markets and greater exposure of the company to market forces.050 192 25.612 26.713 4. OSV’s bulkers. million) 1997 2. Over the last 2 years.690 Balance Sheet as on 31st March Paid up equity Net Worth Loan Funds Net Block of Fleet Net Current Assets n. Debt-equity ratio stood at 1. 1999.865 433 24.998 2. the company has drawn upon these reserves to acquire new tonnage and hence the interest income is expected to fall in the future. income from asset play is negligible in case of SCI.2 1. Major source of non-operating income is the interest from investments made in short-term securities and deposits with public financial institutions.
The next few years would test SCI’s ability to successfully make the transition to a market-oriented environment and capitalize on opportunities thrown open in such sectors as LNG. • Further. the company in the recent past has seen mass exodus of quality seamen to other operators in India and abroad resulting in the company being left with poor quality seafarers. Opportunities • With the on going economic liberalization. Decision-making and company policies would be more market driven and more bottom line conscious. Having operated in a protected environment. With a large container fleet. With the imminent privatization leading to greater operational freedom and management autonomy coupled with reduction in government budgetary.Research and Information Division 63 . containers etc. the company has developed excellent technical expertise but it lacks the commercial expertise resulting from operating in a protected environment and enjoying price and cargo support from the government. SCI can avail the opportunities in this market segment. The proposed laying of pipelines could also affect the coastal movement of products. more and more export cargo is going to move through container ships. reduced budgetary support. • With greater export thrust and larger addition of value added products in Indian exports. price and cargo support. Over the years.Company analysis Weaknesses § § § Large interference by government agencies even in its day-to-day operations. The company having a dominant presence in all market segments is in a favorable position to avail the opportunities arising out of this increase in trade. liberalisation of regulatory environment leading to greater competition are the main threats faced by the company. Dependent on government for cargo support. i-maritime . the company has limited commercial expertise. Threats • Resource constraints. the company is going to witness a sea change in its environment and operations in the years to come. Indian trade is increasing at a rapid pace. • There is tremendous potential for LNG transportation in India. • Product and crude imports and the movements of products along the coast are expected to undergo a major change with new private sector refineries coming up.
Pandey (Executive Chairman) (Executive Deputy Chairman) (Managing Director. N. Shipping Division) (Managing Director. India Tel : +91-22-492 2100/ 492 2200 Fax: +91-22-492 5900 Promoters Sheth and Bhiwandiwala family Board of Directors § § § § § § § § § § Kanaiyalal Maneklal Sheth Sudhir Jayantilal Mulji Bharat Kanaiyalal Sheth Vijay Kantilal Sheth Asha V. Mahapatra (Bulk) Soli Engineer (Offshore) Subsidiaries § § § The Great Eastern Shipping Co. Vesuna (Tanker) S. London Ltd. J. Sheth R. Mumbai. Sethna K.Company analysis The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited Fact sheet Registered office Ocean House Plot No. Worli. K. 134-A Dr. N. Offshore Division) Key management staff § § § K.Research and Information Division 64 . Byramjee A. London Business: Shipowners and charterers The Greatship (Singapore) Pte Ltd. Singapore Business: Shipping agents The Great Eastern (Fujairah) Business: Dry bulk operations Number of vessels: 64 (Including subsidiary’s vessels) Corporate ranking in Indian shipping sector: 2 Ranking in private shipping sector: 1 i-maritime . Annie Besant Road.. S. P.400 018.. Parikh Manu Shroff T.
This represents IFC’s first ever investment in any shipping company 1991 .Suvibha. enters commodity-trading operations 1994 .Research and Information Division 65 .Great Eastern becomes the first Indian line to start a liner cargo service from the west coast of USA and Canada to India 1974 .The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited incorporated.Great Eastern hives off its property division into a separate company called Gesco Corporation Limited 2000 .Great Eastern enters property development 1992 . It also provides a window on international technological.Great Eastern becomes the first Indian shipping company to place order for construction of ships. Japan 1962 . Washington subscribes to 2 million equity shares of Rs.Great Eastern becomes the first Indian shipping company to get an ISO 9002 for its Tanker and Offshore business 1999 .GAL Offshore. which are employed by ONGC for its offshore requirements 1985 .FZC in United Arab Emirates i-maritime .Great Eastern opens London office to facilitate finding employment for its tankers and OBOs.Merger with A. merges with Great Eastern. ‘Jag Ganga’ and ‘Jag Jamuna’ at the Kobe Shipyard.Great Eastern becomes the first (and till date the only) Indian shipping company to launch a GDR issue 1995 . operational and financial developments in shipping 1975 .Great Eastern sets up first private sector cadet training academy in India 1983 . which were adversely affected by depression in freight markets. ceases to be a subsidiary of Great Eastern 1993 .Great Eastern becomes first Indian shipping company in the private sector to acquire Offshore Supply Vessels. now Prime Securities. Company acquires first liberty ship from USA 1949 .Enters financial services sector with subsidiary Suvibha Investments 1987 .Great Eastern becomes the first Indian company in the private sector to acquire rigs 1986 . a 100% subsidiary and into offshore.Company analysis Major events at a glance 1948 . 3 per share. 10 each at a premium of Rs. 1996 . H. Bhiwandiwala & Company Limited (AHB).Great Eastern floats third subsidiary.International Finance Corporation. Great Eastern (Fujairah) LLC .
(AHB) together with its two wholly owned subsidiaries namely Dhirvijay Investments Pvt.na) Vasant Sheth (1927. a business that started as a result of the merging of A. Directors & their relatives V. With a capital base of only Rs. establishment of a subsidiary in London.na) Jagjiwan Ujamshi (1889 . Others Total Source: The Stock Exchange Official Directory.Research and Information Division 66 . Prime Securities Limited after six years of operations as subsidiary.37 7.III.11 17. The company has.IV) VI. Sheth (1916 . The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited was set up in 1948.II. and MDSV Investments & Trading Pvt. Ltd.Company analysis Great Eastern owes its origin to the endeavours of Sheth and Bhiwandiwala families involved in the sugar trade and adept at chartering ships for importing sugar from Java.00 Management and group structure The family tree Ujamshi Mulji (1850 . Bhiwandiwala & Company Ltd. H. Corporate Bodies (Not covered under I & II) IV.na) Chunilal Ujamshi (1880 .1992) (Wife: Jyotsna Sheth) Nitin Rakesh Ghanshyam (1957 -) (Wife: Asha Sheth) Bharat (1958 -) Ravi (1961 -) Sudhir Mulji (1938 -) Vijay (1955 -) Ketaki (1957 -) Note: na denotes dates not available i-maritime . Since FY1992. GAL Offshore. in 1999 the property division was hived off as a separate entity namely Great Eastern Corporation Limited. together with their associates and through a holding company have an estimated 20% shareholding. made some unconventional moves like emphasizing on bulk (tramp) shipping. The management of the company is conservative and has been sustaining profitable operations in the past. The company diversified into property and real estate development to provide insulation against the cyclical nature of shipping. sponsored Financial institutions III. Fifty years down the line.na) Maneklal Ujamshi (1884 . which was in offshore. even during unfavourable operating conditions.99 6. June 1999 % share holding 37. Great Eastern briefly entered commodity trading in 1993. The table below exhibits the distribution of equity shareholding in Great Eastern. ceased to be a subsidiary company.85 28. Sheth (1922 -) Jayantilal Mulji (1913 . Foreign Holdings II. Distribution of equity shareholdings (as on August 28.na) Shantilal Jagdish Sheth (1931 -) Sevantilal (1928 -) Kanaiyalal M.76 1. Govt. The Sheth and Mulji family controls all senior management positions.na) Kantilal J. However. in its fifty years of operation. 2 million and a single liberty ship. The family. However commodity trading was discontinued within 2 years due to heavy losses. It also maintains an excellent record in its timing of purchase and sale decisions of ships. not only to avoid constraints of regulatory framework in India but also to have a window on the international developments in shipping. Suvibha Investment Company Limited that was renamed as “Prime Securities Limited”. Ltd. rigs and tugging business merged with the Great Eastern in 1995. 1998) Category I./Govt. Great Eastern has grown to become the largest shipping company in the Indian private sector with a reputation of being one of the best managed shipping firms world-over. The company had in the past made a foray into the financial services sector through its subsidiary company. Top 50 shareholders (Not covered under I.93 100.
1 347.4 1. operates six bulk carriers and helps Great Eastern by acting as a vessel-buying agent.both dry and POL.5 250. incorporated in 1974.4 28. Although Great Eastern has a balanced fleet of bulk carriers and tankers.7 10. it does not have any presence in LNG and container trade.7 million deadweight and is the largest private sector shipping operator in India.4 17. which constitute 14.1 Great Eastern operates four mini bulk carriers. S. i-maritime .392.2 million DWT. Fleet analysis Fleet profile The company and its subsidiary commands a fleet of 67 vessels with a total cargo carrying capacity of about 1.5 137.9 million equity shares of Great Eastern.410. 1958.5 Total (overseas & coastal) Source: D.5 21.0 21.6 5. Fleet profile of Great Eastern (as on December 31. The Great Eastern Shipping Company London Ltd. The fleet is highly diversified both across segments as well as size. port development & operations and coastal shipping where the company would have had greater expertise and synergies with the current shipping operations. The Sheth family has an excellent track record in shipping. However the company has no presence in the liner trade.1 1. Singapore and Fujairah (UAE).7 12.1 5. The extended family members are also in shipping. Act. Instead the management chose unrelated diversification into real estate development. The Great Eastern (Fujairah) was recently setup in Middle East and is engaged in the business of dry bulk operations. 1999) Type of vessels Overseas: Dry bulk cargo carrier Tanker (crude oil) Tanker (product carrier) LPG carrier Total (overseas) Coastal: Cargo carrying vessels: Dry cargo Total (cargo) Non-cargo carrying vessels: Tug OSV's Total (non-cargo carrying vessels) Total (coastal) No.8 18. Act.2 6.6 2 2 10 12 22 24 3. which operates six aged bulk carriers has a total cargo carrying capacity of about 0.. the number of dry bulk carriers under London subsidiary stands at 4.3 573. is into shipping agency business. S.6 11. Mr. The Greatship Singapore Pte Ltd. Jagdish Sheth was the Chairman of the Shipping Corporation of India. The management also seems to have neglected diversification into related areas like ship repair. Shipping 57 849. As per various market sources the company is not able to deploy them profitably. Great Eastern also has vessels which are registered under Inland Vessels Act or Coasting Vessels Act. Great Eastern Shipping Company London Ltd. In addition to the vessels registered under M.5 1.Company analysis The International Financial Corporation (Washington) holds 17.3 827. of vessels 16 2 14 1 33 GRT ('000) 322. Recently many of these vessels have been sold off and as per latest annual report.2 3.4 percent stake in the company as on June 2000. G. The following table exhibits the fleet profile of Great Eastern. The following table exhibits the vessels that belong to Great Eastern but are not registered under M. The company is primarily involved in bulk trade . The company has subsidiaries at London.9 DWT ('000) 540.Research and Information Division 67 .
4 0. Age profile of Great Eastern fleet as on (December 31.6 percent of gross tonnage.8 7.3 11.3 6.0 years and 11.6 2.5 109.7 22.6 1.6 494.2 2.4 0.3 108. 1999) Economic age Number of vessels GRT ('000) DWT ('000) as per MoST 2000 2002 2005 2000 2002 2005 2000 2002 2005 25 1 5 22.6 203.2 4 8 22 64. which have surpassed their economic life. Its overseas fleet is older than the coastal fleet with an average age of 14.Company analysis Vessels not registered under M.0 2.0 14. Great Eastern vessels above economic life Type of vessel Bulk carriers / Dry cargo Tankers (crude & product) LPG carriers Coastal vessels OSV's Total Source: i-maritime (as on December 31. 1 1 1 0 3 GRT 22.0 0. The average age of Great Eastern Shipping Company London Limited fleet is 24 years.2 1.7 323. 6 0 3 1 GRT 116.1 .0 128.0 0.8 7. 1999) (‘000 GRT) Type of vessels Under 5 years No.6 years respectively.0 0.5 20 3 4 9 63.4 86.0 23 334.0 169.2 58. which is less than the average age of Indian fleet.3 2 2 4 1 5 7 12 3.0 13.9 85.9 10 201.7 0 0 3 6 9 9 0. However.1 196.2 302.5 10 to 14 years No.0 0. 6 0 8 0 GRT 157. Great Eastern DWT ('000) 4. S.0 30 30 20 1 3 8 0.9 0 0 1 3 4 4 5 0. Overseas: Dry bulk cargo carrier Tanker (crude oil) Tanker (product carrier) LPG carrier Total (overseas) Coastal: Cargo carrying vessels: Dry cargo Total (cargo) Non-cargo carrying vessels: Tug OSV’s Total (non-cargo vessels) Total (coastal) Total (overseas & coastal) Source: i-maritime 2 1 2 0 5 GRT 3.6 0.8 Age profile The average age of the Great Eastern fleet is 14 years. which have crossed their economic life as specified by Ministry of Surface Transport. 2000) Type of vessels No.0 1.9 5.8 0 0 1 2 3 3 0.4 0.6 5 to 9 years No.0 0.0 136.2 13.2 3.3 13.7 i-maritime .9 2. 1 0 0 0 1 GRT 23. The following table exhibits the age profile of Great Eastern fleet.0 0. by 2005 there will be 22 vessels constituting about 35.9 1.0 0.3 1.0 20 years & above No.7 0.7 27.0 147.9 163. of vessels Offshore Vessels: Barge 1 Drilling Units 2 GESCO London Fleet: Bulk Carriers 4 Total 7 Source: Annual Report 1999-00.2 78.6 percent of the total gross tonnage.0 2. Act (as on July 7.9 7.9 21.0 23.2 2.7 15 to 19 years No.0 Average age 14 326.6 108.1 0 0 1 0 1 1 4 0.2 99.4 5.5 154.6 14.0 176. which will cross their economic life if no new tonnage is acquired.0 8.0 63.0 5.0 0.4 128.4 215.37. The following table exhibits the Great Eastern vessels.0 13.9 7.3 17.Research and Information Division 68 .1 0.2 3.7 13 203.0 28.0 0.5 0.0 0.2 Presently the Great Eastern fleet contains 4 vessels constituting about 7.7 5.6 1.
7 years. Samsung is expected to get the order for building the vessel.Research and Information Division 69 . the shipping division and the offshore division. The dry bulk division contributes around 35% of the company’s turnover from shipping A large number of the company’s tankers are employed with the Indian oil industry on a long-term charter basis. whose deployment is expected to be difficult in near future. in 1995. The offshore division contributes around 20% of the turnover from shipping operations. i-maritime . Further. The company is also considering to place an order for another Aframax tanker. Shipping division The company’s dry bulk fleet consists of 16 vessels whose average age is 17. IOC and GESCO will jointly hold 50 percent stake while the remaining will be divided among two Korean majors. Offshore division & others After the merger of GAL Offshore Services Ltd. (1) Operation of tugs comprising offshore supply vessels.000 DWT each from Samsung Shipyard in South Korea. As per the initial agreement. The company’s LPG carrier is employed on an international time charter. Also. Tonnage acquisition Great Eastern has recently acquired two Aframax vessels of 105. However the company has still not gone for any major tonnage acquisition despite the depression in the shipping industry and the low second hand prices of ships. The company’s harbour tugs are employed with major and minor ports along the Indian coast fixed on a long-term charter. there exists lot of scope for Great Eastern to expand its present fleet. some of the product tankers are employed in the spot market. Great Eastern has formed a joint venture with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and South Korean conglomerate SK Corporation of South Korea to bid for Petronet LNG contract. Great Eastern’s Jack-up rig Kedarnath and drill barge Badrinath are employed with ONGC. The firm has recently placed orders for 2 Aframax tankers with foreign yards. Great Eastern’s offshore supply vessels are employed with various foreign oil companies operating on the Indian coast. with a low debt-equity ratio of 0. The company’s tanker fleet is dominated by product tankers involved in coastal trade.8. Some of the company’s tankers are presently involved in international cross trade. the first expected to be delivered by April 2002 and second by April 2003.Company analysis Operations The company’s maritime operations are divided into two divisions. namely. the company has been able to reduce the impact of fall in freight rates by hedging between one-third and one-fourth of its fleet through a combination of period charters and Contracts of Affreightment. Over the years. Around 30% of the firm’s shipping income is through deployment of vessels in international cross trade. the offshore division comprises of three distinct activities viz. which would be delivered only by end 2003. Great Eastern recently deployed two Aframax vessels for transportation of crude oil from Persian Gulf for Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL). harbour tugs and anchor handling tugs (2) Oil drilling and (3) Offshore construction. The tanker division contributes around 45% of the company’s turnover and is expected to increase in future as company acquires more tankers.
is Rs. In addition there has been debenture conversion and a GDR issue. i-maritime . This is primarily because of the stock exchange boom in that period which led to a sky high and a subsequent bearish phase in the market in 1998. The company’s turnover is found to be steadily increasing over the last four years. The company was listed in 1956 and has over the past 52 years of incorporation come out with 8 bonus issues and 5 rights issues. 9. million) 1997 2.249 4.45 in 1992 to 0. This has also been characterised by the bullish phase in the shipping markets in general in 1992-93 and depression in certain segments in 1998.672 340 9.200 (Rs.914 5 9. Great Eastern recently placed a Non-Convertible Debenture of Rs.281 10.586 8. 258 million considering a 10 percent deduction in equity capital.529 691 1.364 2.98 million in FY1949 to around Rs.105 2. 3.589 Balance Sheet as on 31st March Paid up equity Net Worth Loan Funds Net Block of Fleet Net Current Assets 2000 2.995 96 8. In only one of the 5-year blocks. The profitability of the company is also declining over the last four years.916 1998-99 5.945 3.1963 saw the reopening of the Suez Canal and continuous mild winters in Europe all leading to lower demand for shipping service. Great Eastern is the first shipping company in India to have launched a GDR issue of USD 100 million in February 1994.642 3.Research and Information Division 70 . investors who have invested in the recent past (around 1992-93).684 608 1. Great Eastern’s debt issues enjoy AAA rating from CRISIL showing its strength and confidence on its ability to meet interest and principal obligations.876 11. However.357 13. million) 1996-97 4.318 13.876 11.347 15.439 3. which is presently traded at a discount as the shipping industry is globally not doing well.290 The equity capital of Great Eastern after hiving off its property division into a separate company.259 1999 2.367 4. Debt-equity ratio for the company is found to be steadily increasing over the years from 0. have investors lost money. when we have assumed that the investor exits.908 3.249 (Rs. The following tables exhibit the salient aspects of the Great Eastern’s financials over the last four years.640 4. The following table exhibits the shareholder returns over the last 50 years for the Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited. Great Eastern has provided a return of more than 20% to any shareholder who had invested at the incorporation of the company. The total income of the company has grown from Rs.910 1997-98 5.77 in FY1998-99.588 11. have got very poor returns in the order of around 2. Most of the returns have come from dividends and very minor portion of the same from capital appreciation.264 2.109 9.876 12. 175 million with institutional investors to partfinance its capital expenditure largely incurred due to the delivery of two newly built Aframax crude carriers.867 3.781 3.Company analysis Financial analysis The financial results for the year 1999-00 can not be compared with that of previous years as the company has hived off its real estate division into a separate company. Profit and Loss Account TCE earnings from shipping Profit from sale of ship Total Turnover PBDIT Interest Net profit Cash profits 1999-00 5.121 650 1.6%. The phase represented by 1958 .413 480 9.8 billion in 1999. The company has produced positive returns during every 5-year block and even in the worst phase of shipping industry.053 15.768 578 1.990 8.223 1998 2.
60 24. a low share price is reflection of investor’s disinterest.43 1948-68 1972-98 26 21. a regional approach Source: Maritime Monitor.30 16. returns generated were in the tune of 50 percent. Of course much depends upon the shipping cycle prevailing at the time of measurement of such parameters.26 1948-63 1977-98 21 19.20 20.05 1948-93 1948-98 50 20.69 1948-83 1957-98 41 20.50 20. On the other hand. of years 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Return (%) 16.Research and Information Division 71 .70 22. its growth prospects are unexciting for the investors in this present craze for growth stocks.23 1948-58 1982-98 16 21.15 1978-1983 5 24.06 1948-73 1967-98 31 26.and price-earnings ratio of only around 3.64 1948-53 1987-98 11 21. In the initial years of operation. Blame it on the cyclical nature of the industry. A high rating of AAA of the debt instruments highlights the company’s strength and confidence in its ability to meet interest & principal obligations. March 1-31.10 1958-1963 5 -0.49 1948-78 1962-98 36 27. 16/.60 Great Eastern has achieved returns upward of 25 percent twice in the last decade. Such low valuation means raising further capital through equity route is difficult.20 20. What is surprising is that the company is not taking advantage of its debt raising capacity .49 No.54 1963-1968 5 29. of Return Period years (%) 1948-1953 5 16. even as the share price of the company lingers at a 52-week low of Rs. Issue 21 & 22. even while providing fair level of certainty to a debt investor. 35 crore new NCD issue were both rated AAA (triple A rating).56 1973-1978 5 8. And this probably explains why the firm has a low equity valuation even while having the best of ratings in debt market.14 1993-1998 5 6. 175 crore nonconvertible debenture (NCD) issue as well as Rs.80 19. 2000 in an industry that is truly global and lack of presence in such sectors as LNG & containers.to raise capital and acquire tonnage.3. i-maritime . the general weak nature of most Indian shipping companies when compared to global giants. Operating with more or less defined growth patterns. Great Eastern’s stock is undoubtedly undervalued.40 21.59 1948-98 Source: Maritime Monitor Shareholders' returns (on 5 years block) No. of Return Period Period years (%) 1992-98 6 2.72 1948-88 1952-98 46 21.Company analysis Shareholder returns for the Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited Shareholders' returns (Cumulative figures) No.3 1968-1973 5 31.58 1953-1958 5 32.a AAA credit rating and a low debt-equity ratio . available quite cheap because of the present depression in many segments of shipping. the company does not offer anything exciting to the equity investors.93 1988-1993 5 34.00 19.12 1983-1988 5 23. Debt and Equity The diversity between the equity and debt markets was highlighted when Great Eastern Shipping Company’s existing Rs.
the company has never incurred cash losses. There is enormous potential for LNG transportation in India. However. This gets further relevance when we consider the number of private shipping companies that got lost in mid 70’s.Company analysis SWOT analysis Strength § § § § § § § § § § § § § Largest operator in the private sector with 52 years of experience. Company may find long term opportunities in shipping related areas like ship repair. Has been a consistent profit making company even in bad times. Threats Shipping being a cyclical industry. In another 5 years more than 50 percent of the fleet will be more than 20 years which need to be augmented with new vessels or require repairing and maintenance. port development and operations etc. any down turn in freight rates could have severe impact on profitability. whose deployment in Indian products import trade is expected to be difficult. well-trained and skilled off-shore and on-shore staff. ship breaking and port development. Opportunities With only 30% of all Indian overseas trade being conducted by Indian fleet. ship building. Has qualified. Great Eastern can increase its share in foreign trade. A large product tanker fleet. logistics. Weaknesses Management can be charged for missing opportunities in related activities like coastal shipping. Management understands shipping business and has a good reputation in both shipping and financial circles. Over the last 52 years of company’s operation its profit after tax were negative only for 6 times. i-maritime . Strong balance sheet which can support expansion in shipping. While the company has a large fleet by Indian standards. internationally it is quite small.Research and Information Division 72 .
India Tel : +91-22-495 0606 Fax : +91-22-495 4312/ 495 4330 Promoter Ruia family Board of Directors § Shashi Ruia § Ravi Ruia § Sanjay Mehta § Capt. Liberia Redwing Navigation Limited. Chennai.Research and Information Division 73 . Mumbai . Kampani § O. Main Guard Cross Road. N.560 001. B.400 034. Mahalaxmi. India Tel : +91-22-559 1382 Fax : +91-22-559 1650 Corporate office Essar House 11.Company analysis Essar Shipping Company Limited Fact sheet Registered office 2/3. Poddar § S. India Business: Yet to commence operations Essar International Limited. Keshavrao Khadye Marg. N. P. Bansal § N. ship broking and related activities Essar International Limited has two subsidiaries: Greywood Maritime Inc. Liberia (Chairman) (Vice Chairman) (Managing Director) (ICICI Nominee) (ICICI Nominee) Number of vessels: Corporate ranking in Indian shipping sector: Ranking in private shipping sector: 74 includes 3 2 : 39 Barges : 12 BBCD/Subsidiary vessels i-maritime . K. London Business: Is engaged in owning and chartering of ships. S. Doreswamy § M. Kumar § R. Modi § Morten Arntzen Subsidiaries § § Essar Tankers Limited. P. Bangalore . Khaitan § S.
incorporated Company acquires management control of South India Shipping Corporation (SISCO) Joint venture with Poompuhar Shipping to form Essar . Merger of EBC and KSC to form Essar Shipping Limited Essar International Limited formerly Essar Guernsey Limited.Poompuhar Shipping Company Limited with the purpose of carrying out coal shipments for Tamil Nadu Electricity Board SISCO merged with Essar Shipping Takes over Vadinar port project from Essar Oil 1991 1994 - 1996 1998 - i-maritime .Company analysis Major events at a glance 1969 1975 1983 1988 Essar Investment Limited (EIL) sets up Essar Bulk Carriers (EBC) as a wholly owned subsidiary Karnataka Shipping Corporation (KSC) Limited established by Karnataka Government EIL acquires KSC.Research and Information Division 74 . the wholly owned subsidiary of Essar Shipping Limited.
and Essar International Limited (EIL). Others Total Source: The Stock Exchange Official Directory. Essar Tankers Limited (ETL). 26 percent are crude oil tankers and 26 percent of dry bulk carriers.Research and Information Division 75 . Of the overseas vessels.79 23. sponsored Financial institutions III.1996. ship broking and related activities. 1998) Category I.02 18. Directors & their relatives V. Distribution of equity shareholdings (as on August 28. while EIL is engaged in owning and chartering of ships. Ltd. IV) VI. The company has 6 modern Suezmax double hull tankers and 11 minibulk carriers. The company belongs to the Rs 38 billion Essar group. S. The non-cargo carrying fleet constitutes 30 percent of ESL fleet strength. Management and group structure The family tree diagram Nand Kishore Ruia (1927.Company analysis Essar Shipping Limited (ESL) came into existence in 1983 with the merger of Essar Bulk Carriers (formed in 1969) and Karnataka Shipping Co.11 30.51 0. and finally merged it with ESL with effect from April 1. Corporate Bodies (Not covered under I & II) IV.56 100. Govt. The table below exhibits the fleet of 23 ships owned by ESL and registered under M. ETL is yet to commence operations.01 0.69) (Wife: Chandrakala) Shashikant (1943 -) (Wife: Manu) Ravikant (1949 -) (Wife: Madhu) Prashant (1969 -) (Wife: Vasudha) Anshuman (1971-) (Wife: Radhika) Smiti Revant (1983 -) Yuvraj Kumar (1996 -) The promoters hold around 40% stake in the company. which consists of other companies like Essar Steel and Essar Oil. ETL also has two wholly owned subsidiaries. Redwing Navigation Limited and Greywood Navigation Limited. June 1999 % share holding 27. In addition.00 Fleet analysis Fleet profile ESL has a well-diversified fleet of about 36 vessels operating in the overseas and coastal segments. i-maritime . both incorporated in Liberia and engaged in shipping activities. This aggregate fleet is inclusive of all the vessels under lease and Bareboat Charter cum Demise (BBCD) agreement. The following table exhibits the distribution of equity shareholding in Essar Shipping Ltd. II. The promoters acquired management control in South India Shipping Corporation (SISCO) in 1991. ESL also has two wholly owned subsidiaries. it has around 41 barges for coastal trade. III. Top 50 shareholders (Not covered under I. Foreign Holdings II./Govt. Act.
1 Mini bulk carrier 11 16.3 42.0 Source: i-maritime Type of vessel i-maritime . The average age of ESL overseas fleet is 11 years. 2000) Type of vessels No.2 46.5 42.0 27.2 42. Essar's vessels above economic life Economic age as No.7 475.3 30. Vessels not registered under M. However.15. its coastal fleet is quite old with the average age of 22.0 102.2 38.9 4.0 8.1 911.1 39.3 30.5 69.260. The following table exhibits the other vessels of ESL.3 3.1 26. which are under their command but are not registered with D.1 1.2 17.3 5.5 17. The overseas vessels account for 90 percent of the tonnage.2 65.0 25.3 16.5.5 75.3 Dumb barges 39 -39.4 Source: Annual Report.5 years.221. The share of the coastal cargo carrying vessels in the total tonnage capacity is 2.7 Coastal vessels 30 OSV's 20 3 3 .2 percent. 1999-00. S. G. Age profile The average age of ESL vessels is 11.Research and Information Division 76 .G.3 Total 1 6 7 17. of vessels GRT Overseas: Dry bulk cargo carrier 6 Tanker (crude oil) 6 Tanker (product carrier) 2 Ore Oil bulk carrier 1 Total (overseas) 15 Coastal: Cargo carrying vessels: Tanker (product carrier) 1 Total (cargo) 1 Non-cargo carrying vessels: Tug 3 OSV's 3 SOSV's 1 Total (non-cargo carrying vessels) 7 Total (coastal) 8 ('000) 125.5 30.0 Total 51 41. The total deadweight tonnage under the command of ESL is around 1. Shipping 23 689. The following table exhibits the ESL vessels that are expected to cross economic age (as defined by Ministry of Surface Transport) over the next 5 years.6 DWT ('000) 206. Shipping.2 61.5 0.2 0.Company analysis Fleet profile of Essar Shipping (as on December 31.0 5.2 30.8 58.0 Tankers (crude & product) 20 1 3 3 17.4 million tons.8 663.1 The BBCD vessels under the command of ESL are owned by Redwing and are Liberia-flagged. Act / BBCD Vessels (as on June 21.2 years.5 years.0 37. of vessels GRT (‘000) DWT (‘000) Bulk carrier 1 25.7 3.9 1. Essar Shipping Ltd. 1999) Type of vessels No.7 Total (overseas & coastal) Source: D. of vessels GRT ('000) DWT ('000) per MoST (Years) 2000 2002 2005 2000 2002 2005 2000 2002 2005 Bulk carriers 25 1 .9 3.7 69.5 9.9 . The average age of crude oil tankers is 8.3.
9 22.9% of the total gross tonnage and are deployed mostly on the long-term time charter. The crude carriers account for 68.Research and Information Division 77 .5 3 0. Kanchanjunga (DWT of 276. ESL is having 71. tankers and OSV’s. it should be noted that the Reliance refinery at Jamnagar is importing oil in VLCCs because of economies of scale. 69 percent of the gross tonnage is between 5 to 9 years. GRT No.5 19. Similarly. GRT No.0 1 37.2 32. in case of the upcoming Essar Oil refinery in Vadinar. has formed a joint venture with Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC) to bid for the Petronet LNG transportation contract. augurs well for the company in view of the expected increase in crude oil imports to service the needs of various oil refineries which have come up in the recent past or expected to come up in the near future.0 17.9 4 88.8 2 25.7 4 8.4 11 160. GRT No. While this is commendable.9 21. VLCCs could achieve better economies of scale.T.0 6 475.5 8. To capitalise on the economies of scale. This table exhibits the age profile of ESL fleet. due to changing nature of the products’ trade.0 16. It is planning to acquire a second-hand Capesize vessel.2 17. Four of the 6 crude carriers. age 16.9 4.755 tonnes) belonging to SCI (which SCI is planning to scrap). Their average age of 8.970 dwt are the largest vessels in the Indian fleet after M. Majority of the company’s vessels is employed on long-term / medium-term time charters. GRT 6 475. In the coastal fleet about 65 percent of the tonnage is above 20 years. indicating a more stable income stream. a very small portion of Essar’s tonnage consists of product tankers.0 19.7 1 1 1 21. The company has shifted its focus to energy transportation and has integrated logistics solutions to its clients. GRT No.0 25. Age profile of Essar's fleet (as on December 31.0 15. Unlike SCI and Great Eastern.2 17.7 0. Essar Shipping.4 1 1 1 1 1 2 15.0 3 3 0.9 percent of the vessels are between 15 to 19 years of age.7 3 1 4 3.0 25. The company has a policy of maintaining its vessels on an optimum mix of time and voyage charters to maximise revenue and to protect against the cyclical fluctuation in the shipping industry. ESL intends to phase out its small and old bulk carriers and offshore supply vessels.0 Avg. i-maritime .6 percent of its overseas tonnage between the age of 5 to 9 years and about 22.5 years.7 16.Company analysis In the ESL fleet.0 8.9 21.1 Operations Shipping ESL is the second largest private operator with a diversified fleet of bulkers. 1999) ('000 GRT) Type of vessels Overseas: Dry bulk cargo carrier Tanker (crude oil) Tanker (product carrier) Ore Oil bulk carrier Total (overseas) Coastal: Cargo carrying vessels: Tanker (product carrier) Total (cargo) Non-cargo carrying vessels: Tug OSV's SOSV's Total (non-cargo carrying vessels) Total (coastal) Total (overseas & coastal) Source: i-maritime Under 5 years 5 to 9 years 10 to 14 years 15 to 19 years 20 years & above No.0 11.7 9 475. each with a carrying capacity of 154.0 18.8 7 151. This augurs well for the company.2 11.9 8.
However.967 9.528 10.697 4. it is now the third largest shipping company in India. With a total tonnage of 1.256 16.485 237 221 61 4.4 million tonnes under command.431 5. 550 crore of secured debt from Essar Oil against the Vadinar project.967 10. ESL’s balance sheet also does not generate much confidence in the short run. We believe that the project could accrue lot of benefits to the company.486 3. million) TCE earnings from shipping Profit from sale of ship Total Turnover PBDIT Interest Net profit Cash profits 1999-00 1998-99 1997-98 1996-97 (12 months) (12 months) (6 months) (18 months) 3.018 2. The company had maintained a debt equity ratio of less than 0.Company analysis Ports The company is implementing an all-weather.330 4. the debt equity ratio has jumped to more than 1. which has jumped from almost a negligible level few years back to Rs. The project that was taken over from Essar Oil led to a downgrading of credit rating by CRISIL.000 DWT) and VLCCs.630 761 753 503 1.Research and Information Division 78 . 1997 2000 1. This is primarily because non-operating income which contributed almost 70% of PBT in FY1997-98.200 820 2.095 1. even though accounting period of the latter was just 6 months.059 2.243 1. however with taking over of around Rs. The increase has also been as a result of unsecured borrowings.565 6. it is difficult to analyze the operations of ESL in terms of changes in key parameters. The ESL will be gradually phasing out its existing fleet of product tankers.679 7.259 484 480 451 974 1.050 2.457 11.839 6.059 2. Investments in group companies is unlikely to yield benefits.425 1997 + 1. The total cost of the project is expected to be around Rs 15 billion.400 2.089 8.077 6.967 10. the company generated as much profits as in FY1997-98. In the 4 consecutive fiscal years previous to 1998-99.651 1999 1. non-operating income like sale of assets.244 Balance Sheet (Rs.967 9. million) as on 31st March Paid up equity Net Worth Loan Funds Net Block of Fleet WIP of port project Net Current Assets + : as on September 30.287 717 1998 1. Tonnage acquisition The company has grown aggressively in the last decade. bulk carriers and minibulk carriers and over the next few years it will be acquiring younger and large-sized Capesize vessels (150. despite short-term financial problems.5. natural deep-water port at Vadinar for handling of crude oil & products to cater chiefly to Essar Oil’s upcoming refinery nearby. The company has frequently relied on selling ships to subsidiaries and leasing them back. a substantial portion of PBT has been contributed by non-recurring.372 7. it is quite clear that profitability has fallen over the last few years mainly as a result of increased depreciation and BBCD charges. contributed less than 20% in FY1998-99. Financial analysis The tables given below exhibit the salient aspects of Essar financials over the last four years.526 8. In the financial year 1998-99. 7 billion by March 1999. atleast in the short i-maritime .677 19.234 Owing to changes in the accounting period.376 3.7 in the past.003 1. Profit and Loss Account (Rs. mainly to improve liquidity and to book profits.
While the Vadinar project has affected the balance sheet and put pressure on the liquidity. the company has been able to raise US$ 115 million from GE Capital Structured Finance Group and Boeing Capital Corporation having a maturity period of 12 years for prepaying its high-cost loans. The scrip is presently trading below par value. 1. Two developments in the recent past could however have a negative impact on the company – the downgrading of the company’s Rs. In the last 4 years. The default on FRN issue by Essar Steel. SWOT analysis Strength § § § Management is strong in managing the regulatory environment. the terminal might also be used to supply oil to other companies like Bharat Oman Refineries who are already in talks with Essar Oil. as we have experienced in case of large giants like P&O. Has received.6 million non-convertible debentures from BBB+ to C (below investment grade indicating substantial risk of default) by CRISIL. Returns generated have steadily deceased over the last few years. and is expected to continue to receive in future. a group company. As per unconfirmed reports. A weak credit rating. Further.5 years) and hence it is able to deploy the fleet in a better way and charge higher charter rates. accentuates the problem. Opportunities The company may find long term opportunities in LNG transportation. the company is being downloded to D (Default grade) by CRISIL. considerable support from group companies. Weaknesses § § § § § § Declining volume of fixtures through transchart company’s future earnings have greater fluctuations in line with international freight rates.002. In addition. the company may find increased level of competition on its tanker and offshore segments. In the past few years. Company’s fleet is quite young (11. Being part of the Essar group is also a weakness. Not withstanding this. In addition to supplying oil to Essar Oil. we believe that a shipping company’s foray into port operations. is a step towards the right direction.Research and Information Division 79 . i-maritime .Company analysis run. There has been a substantial diminution in their value. a substantial portion of company’s profits have come from non-recurring asset transactions with subsidiaries. but has not been taken into consideration by the management. Threats With progressive liberalization of the regulatory environment governing Indian shipping. we believe that the company would be able to generate substantial benefits in the middle and the long term. The agency says that the revised rating reflects the stress on ESL’s cashflows following transfer of terminal project from Essar Oil to ESL and delay in tying up for the funds in this respect. Part of the Rs 38 billion Essar Group. This is reflected in the low share prices prevailing in the stock markets. returns to shareholders in the form of Return on Networth (RONW) has been below 10%. especially so after the recent default on a FRN issue by Essar Steel. most of it is pledged with banks and financial institutions.
of vessels GRT ('000) DWT ('000) 2 3 1 3 9 9 49. has a total deadweight tonnage capacity of around 0. Management and group structure VSL is a publicly listed company on the Bombay Stock Exchange with promoter and group companies having a major shareholding of around 35 percent. The table exhibits the fleet of ships owned by VSL. Mutual Funds VII. Promoter Group and Group Companies II. 1999) No. Further. Nationalised Banks VI.. Shipping (as on December 31. IFC (W) has a shareholding of 3. i-maritime . Tarun Shipping & Industries Ltd. Directors and Directors Relative III.15 2. CCI promoted VSL in 1971. Non-Residents VIII.68 1. owns one ship and operates two ships on time charter. the company entered into the bulk cargo shipping in 1993 and subsequently in the field of LPG transportation in 1996. VSL with 13 vessels. VSL also has a shareholding of 49. VSC International Pte Ltd.3 million tons. Financial Institutions IV. VSL has two subsidiaries namely VSC International Pte Ltd.3 percent. and Tarun Shipping & Industries Ltd. G.1 59.2 94.Research and Information Division 81 .08 43.91 percent in Tarun Shipping & Industries Ltd.securities.7 4.2 7.1 61.5 261. Khatau Junker.00 18. 1999) Category I.com % share holding 34.43 percent in the company.00 Fleet analysis Fleet profile VSL is the third largest private operator in Indian shipping sector having operations in the shipping and support services for oil exploration. It entered into support services for oil exploration in 1983 by acquiring Anchor Handling and Towing Supply (AHTS) vessels.22 0. (VSL) is part of the Khatau group of companies which include Cable Corporation of India (CCI).8 85. Residents Total Source:  which commenced its operations in 1973 with the acquisition of one product tanker. The table below exhibits the distribution of equity shareholding in Varun Shipping. which was incorporated in 1994. The share of VSL in the total Indian tonnage is 2. Khatau International etc.9 174.07 0.9 261. Insurance Companies V. Distribution of equity shareholdings (as on September 30. Indokem.79 100. Fleet of Varun Shipping Type of vessels Overseas: Dry bulk cargo carrier Tanker (product carrier) Acid carrier LPG carrier Total (overseas) Coastal Total (overseas & coastal) Source: D.9 74. The following table exhibits the BBCD vessels of Varun Shipping.8 174.01 0.9 In addition to the above-mentioned vessels.Company analysis Varun Shipping Company Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of VSL incorporated in Singapore in 1995 and owns two ships which are deployed with VSL under BBCD arrangement. VSL has also acquired vessels on BBCD charter. Carona Ltd.
GRT No. which is more than the average age of Indian fleet.2 years. GRT No.7 DWT ('000) 2000 2002 2005 94. The table below exhibits the age profile of VSL fleet. GRT No.7 59. All of the company’s LPG carriers are employed by the Indian public sector oil companies except one.2 2005 2000 3 3 - Operations The company is primarily involved in four sectors.2 94.9 Total 4 7. GRT No.6 Age profile The average age of VSL fleet when calculated as per GRT of vessel is 19. i-maritime . of vessels 2000 2002 GRT ('000) 2002 2005 59. 1999) Type of vessels Overseas: Dry bulk cargo carrier Tanker (product carrier) Acid carrier LPG carrier Total (overseas) Coastal Total (overseas & coastal) Source: i-maritime ('000 GRT) Under 5 years 5 to 9 years 10 to 14 years 15 to 19 years 20 years & above Avg. The two offshore supply vessels of the company are deployed with ONGC.2 The table below exhibits the vessels that will surpass their economic age as mentioned by Ministry of Surface Transport in year 2005 if no new tonnage is added. Vessels above economic life Type of vessel Bulk carriers Tankers (product) Acid carriers LPG carriers Total Source: i-maritime Economic age as per MoST (years) 25 20 25 30 No. Age profile of Varun fleet (as on December.0 17. which is chartered to a foreign company.Research and Information Division 82 .121 61.6 OSV 2 1. GRT Age 2 49.2 19. namely the petroleum product / chemicals tanker segment.1 3 59.7 5 108. The product tankers of the company are employed with the Indian public sector oil companies for carriage of petroleum except one. It is expected that VSL tanker fleet will face uncertainty with the commissioning of new refineries in India. G. However.995 65.0 24. No.6 Source: D.8 1 3 4 4 4.2 19.8 5 108.874 65. Shipping DWT ('000s) 14. LPG carrier segment and offshore segment.995 15. 1999) Category Number of vessels GRT ('000s) Tanker 2 5. company can offset the fall in demand caused by reduced imports with greater movements of refined products along the Indian coast. which is deployed with a foreign charterer. as with the increased domestic production of petroleum products there will be reduction in imports of these products. VSL has converted one of its LPG carriers to carry ammonia for IOC.6 14.2 20. The two bulk carriers of VSL are employed with the foreign companies on charter. dry bulk carrier segment.Company analysis BBCD vessels of Varun Shipping (as on December 31.
611 2.Company analysis Varun Shipping bided for Petronet LNG project by forming a joint venture with Hanjin Shipping of South Korea.442 198 1. 950 million for ship acquisition of which Rs.593 722 235 216 455 Balance Sheet as on 31st March Paid up equity Net Worth Loan Funds Net Block of Fleet Net Current Assets 2000 363 1.036 458 1998 359 1. It has a debt-equity ratio of nearly 2. 280 million will come from the right issue while remaining from the debt.890 311 1999 363 1. Similar is the case with M.6 percent.353 496 (Rs. chances of further expansion of fleet by the company seems low. what with VSL increasingly going in for sale of ships and loan funds to finance acquisitions.353 122 1. In any case.Research and Information Division 83 . it will not be an easy task to achieve.3% (CAGR). it is planning a convertible debenture issue of Rs.825 3.0. MT Vishwa Doot.617 1. The latest results show a decline in operating profit margins by 1. Tonnage acquisition Varun Shipping plans to acquire second hand vessels to strengthen its existing fleet and to diversify the gas operations by entering into the LNG market. Much of it could be attributed to high non-operating income (from sale of ships) in FY1995-96. It is interesting to watch the fleet profile of Varun . 360 million. This is largely due to the growth in expenses on account of BBCD rentals and crew wages.600 2. PBDIT has grown at a much smaller rate of 0. as well as the higher administrative charges (largely miscellaneous). Vayu Doot. Its investment portfolio is long term in nature.transfer of asset ownership between VSL and its subsidiaries has been quite frequent. million) 1996-97 1. largely to improve liquidity as well as book profits. while PBT has actually fallen by 37%. Financial analysis The tables given below exhibits the salient aspects of Varun Shipping financials over the last four years.829 844 322 75 513 1997-98 1.848 792 302 89 479 1998-99 1. T. The liquidity position of the company is not satisfactory. Also considering the company’s deteriorating profitability.472 2.096 3.629 1. However. The company for its proposed LNG venture had appointed the US-based American Marine Advisors (AMA) as the merchant banker for the arrangement of funds. ships have mostly been sold to group companies and then hired back on lease.417 3.777 869 276 261 563 (Rs. dull market conditions prevailing in the shipping sector would be major factor in the shareholder’s investment in the issue. i-maritime . The balance sheet of VSL does not generate much confidence. Profit and Loss Account TCE earnings from shipping Profit from sale of ship Total Turnover PBDIT Interest Net profit Cash profits 1999-00 1. being solely in-group companies and hence not really liquid. million) 1997 359 1. There does not seem much room for further debt and given the fact an equity issue is difficult at this stage.438 2. sold and leased back in FY 1996 is now back in the books of VSL within a period of 3 years.024 350 VSL’s income from shipping operations has grown at a CAGR of 15 % between FY1995-96 and FY1999-00.966 4. For this. The non-operating income in the four years before FY1999 has come from sale of ships. The company has already made a budget of Rs.
The financial health of the company is also not very impressive.Research and Information Division 84 .6. Hence there exists uncertainty over the future deployment of company’s product tankers. SWOT analysis Strength § § § The company has an experience of 27 years in shipping A continuous dividend track record An A+ rating from Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency (ICRA) Weaknesses § § § The company has weak financials that is low liquidity and high debt-equity ratio of about 1. nor does the stock price (around Rs. Hence its earnings are susceptible to ups and downs of internal and international shipping cycles Profitability of the company has reduced over the years The company has a small and aged fleet Opportunities § The company may find potential in LNG transportation Threats § Product imports are expected to undergo a major change with the coming up of new private sector refinery. 10) inspire much confidence about raising fresh equity. A high debt-equity ratio leaves little room for further growth. it is realized that returns generated by the company are not very impressive over the last 6 years. If ROCE calculations exclude profits from sale of ships (which are essentially made to subsidiaries). i-maritime .Company analysis Returns generated on the total capital have decreased steadily over the last few years.
for above average growth rates…” The trend is most strong in container shipping where majors like P&O-Nedlloyd.a challenge faced by every ship owner worldwide. The logistics service provider is integrated in production and marketing processes of the shipper. increasingly getting merged with the overall transportation sector. have established systems to take responsibility of total logistics requirements of their clients. first-rate port facilities. Need for greater coordination between various players and rapid development of information & communications technology has led to transportation and logistics industry increasingly getting segmented into two parts: § § flow of physical goods flow of information Flow of goods requires trucks and vessels while flow of information requires a well developed IT and communications infrastructure and skilled manpower. where shipowners are taking responsibility for door-to-door transportation. most importantly. While a pure shipping company was entirely dependent on assets in the form of ships. shippers are willing to pay a premium to one who takes the entire responsibility of transporting goods from suppliers’ doors to their door and from theirs to the customers’.Review of Maritime Transport 1999 notes that these opportunities “…opens the door to an industry that is estimated to provide for an annual business volume of around USD 40 billion and. containers etc. a logistics service provider has to develop extensive inland transport capabilities. including bulk commodities.Research and Information Division 85 . online support. In the age of “stick to core competency”. To ship goods now means to transport goods not only by ocean mode but also by any form of conveyance. sophisticated information technology and most importantly well-trained personnel. (or tie up with operators in command of such assets) but also build up such assets as IT infrastructure and expertise over business processes-much more sophisticated and extensive than applicable in any single sub-segment. The threat also presents enormous opportunities to ship owners.changing profile The contours of shipping industry is changing rapidly. trucks. The trend is increasingly catching up in other goods. Maersk etc. The new role of a total logistics service provider profoundly changes shipper-carrier relationships from a short-term assignment based to a long-term continuous one. packaging and customs clearance with a promise to deliver door-to-door service. As the report of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development . i-maritime .. warehouses etc. Thus a logistics and transportation service provider not only has to build a large fleet of physical assets in form of vessels. warehousing. Shipping is today losing its identity as an independent industry. and increased necessity to maintain and process huge databases for successful operations on part of service provider. cargo movement status. In this era of integrated logistics and multimodal transportation.Shipping to logistics Shipping to logistics Shipping industry . Transportation business itself is transforming itself into larger logistics business which includes inventory management. rail infrastructure. Focus is not only to satisfy the client but also the client’s client. reservation & price quotations. Logistics industry is not just a simple agglomeration of physical infrastructure constituting each sub-segment but a complicated interplay between them. traditional ship owning is increasingly getting commoditized . Expertise over this “interplay” is what constitutes the “soft” assets of a logistics service provider and highly critical to success of the venture. The increasing debundling of information flow from flow of physical goods can be highlighted by increased demand from shippers for such real time information as scheduling. etc. Prices and conditions negotiated bear little relevance to the traditional ocean tariff or the commodity and destination.
information. over a longer time frame.large number of skilled personnel and low cost of operations in India. we have assessed the competitiveness of the Indian shipping industry and firms within it to capitalize on these fundamentals based on various factors and parameters. even activities pertaining to the knowledge and expertise levels could also shift to India or Indians as in observed world over in such knowledge firms like Mckinsey. Two factors are responsible for such a trend . engineering and other knowledge firms. where an Indian is at the helm of affairs. i-maritime . ranging from data to expertise. i2-Technologies etc. at the knowledge and expertise end of the spectrum. India can directly leapfrog to the latest technology options to build a strong IT and communications network.Research and Information Division 86 . are still underdeveloped in India. of a global shipowning and logistics firm. Microsoft and GE have opened up research centers in the country.Shipping to logistics Data. two important parameters for setting up of logistics companies. Human resources The country possesses a large pool of highly skilled IT and other personnel. Internet and e-commerce Internet is today changing the way things are carried out – making redundant many of the businesses that existed in the past while creating opportunities in other areas. knowledge and expertise Onshore functions could be divided into different levels of sophistication . information. Decisions pertaining to business strategies and policies lie. United Airlines. Unilever. Citibank. The fragmented nature of the industry has generated possibilities of huge potential cost savings as a result of web-enablement of business processes. Foreign ship owners can achieve substantial monetary gains by transferring large sections of their onshore activities to India. pharmaceuticals. various industry participants consider this as a blessing in disguise – the country does not need to pass through various stages of such infrastructure as has been the case in various advanced nations. product development. India. India is in a position to cater to all levels of requirements. Indian ship owners. Competitive assessment In the following sections. resources critical for carrying out back office functions in any logistics operations. Many international ship management firms are catering to their international clients from offices set up in India.at the levels of data. Eventually. Shipping and logistics are also being greatly influenced by this new revolution. on the other hand. database management and call centers for various software. call centers etc. Last year P&O Nedlloyd announced it’s plans to set up the company’s global support center in Pune. can provide these services for foreign ship owners. At the same time firms like Mckinsey. Thus processing of accounts. Infrastructure IT and communications infrastructure. This fact should be judged against the background of recent developments. However. knowledge and expertise. We believe that in near future many of the data and information processing jobs of international shipowners and other maritime companies could shift to India. represent activities that range at the data and information levels. maintaining databases of various marine service suppliers and shippers. India is presently becoming the center for activities like research. Many software and finance firms like GE Capital have opened up call centers in India to cater to global clients. already having strong infrastructure in the country.
but eventually the entire business of foreign shipowners. This aspect provides an opportunity for various Indian shipowners to provide various onshore jobs for foreign shipowners. while costs can be upward of Rs. This augurs well for various industries including shipping and transportation. initial costs could range from USD 7-8 million while the same portal could be developed in India at around USD 1-2 million only. Many of the global shipowners could transfer large portions of their onshore jobs involving information processing and database management to India to achieve substantial reduction in cost of operations. which are fraction of costs of foreign consultants.e. LBS College of Advanced Maritime Studies and Research has already drawn the attention of foreign seafarers. i-maritime . a Bombay-based software firm.000 by Cyber Marine. This is one of the most lucrative opportunities available to Indian shipowners to capitalize upon. To develop a shipping and logistics portal in the USA.Shipping to logistics India is set to emerge as a leading country in the field of Information Technology and e-commerce. Indian shipowners can “productise” their knowledge-bank to develop various shipping and maritime portals to serve various target markets.Research and Information Division 87 . Such portals could also dramatically increase the shipowners’ market valuations. Today i-maritime is able to provide business consultancy services to various international maritime companies at costs.000 if the same job is carried out by any Norwegian company. This could include not just ship management – i. management of physical assets. 150. 450. where adaptation of these technologies are expected to increase their competitiveness vis-à-vis other countries. Customization of various shipping softwares are being carried out at as low as Rs.
The following table exhibits the composition of Indian Navy/Coast Guard fleet as on 1999. shipbuilding industry and marine infrastructure. The active fleet strength of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard is 199 vessels. one ‘carrier’ dock. anti-smuggling & anti-poaching activities. There are 21 vessels. port & harbours.e. general purpose ships. It ensures security and protection keeping in line with its motto “Vayam Raksham”. sea lanes of communication. submarine pens and a supply school (INS Hamla). several fast attack crafts (INS Vibhuti. etc.Missiles Large Patrol Craft Landing Ships LCUs Minesweepers . and professional schools (INS Venduruthy) ship repair yards. consist of an aircraft carrier (INS Viraat). Eastern Naval Command (Vishakapatnam) and Southern Naval Command (Kochi). Composition of Indian Navy/Coast Guard fleet (as on 1999) Type Attack Submarine Patrol Submarines Attack Carriers (Medium) Destroyers Frigates Corvettes Patrol Ships Fast Attack Craft . The establishments under western naval command are barracks and main dockyard. INS Vipul & INS Nashak) carrying surface-to-surface missiles fleet tanker (INS Jyoti with a carrying capacity of 30. The Coast Guard was constituted in 1978 as an armed force of the Union (through Coast Guard Act.Annexures Indian Navy and Coast Guard The Indian Navy and Coast Guard are together responsible for protecting the nation’s maritime interests. warships (INS Savitri & INS Delhi). meaning ‘We Protect’. offshore installations.. fishing interests. The region includes Hindustan and Garden Reach Shipyards. The region includes Mazagon and Goa shipyards. The establishments under Southern Command are a naval air station.Ocean Minesweepers . 1978) & thus forms a part of the Defence Ministry. which are being built with 37 more vessels in the pipeline. a submarine school (INS Satyavahana). a naval air station (INS Dega) and a new entry training (INS Chilka). The coast guard engages in the surveillance of exclusive economic zones.Research and Information Division 88 . the Eastern and the Western. The three Commands of Indian Navy are Western Naval Command (Mumbai). The two fleets of the navy. Karwar (near Goa) has been selected as the site for a new naval base whose first phase is due for completion in 2003. The Indian Navy defends the countries coastline. Their Headquarters are located in New Delhi. island territories. i. a trial establishment (INS Dronacharya). search operations and pollution control operations. The establishments under Eastern Command are a submarine base (INS Virbahu).Inshore Minehunters Research & Survey Ships Training Ships Submarine Tender Diving Support/Rescue Ship Replenishment Tankers Support Tankers Water Carriers Ocean Tugs Sub-total Coast Guard Vessels Total Source: Jane’s Fighting Ships Active 17 1 5 13 25 7 5 8 10 10 12 6 11 4 1 1 2 6 2 2 148 51 199 Building (Projected) (1) 1 (4) (1) 3 5 (3) 3 4 (15) 1 (6) 2 1 (1) 20 (31) 1 (6) 21 (37) i-maritime . anti-submarine.000 tonnes of fuel).
K.574 20.No. Mazagon Dock Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.854 20.608 13. Bhartendu M.510 4.144 11. V.146 16. India Poland India India India 1976 1976 1977 1978 1978 1978 1978 1979 1979 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1980 1981 1981 1981 1981 1983 1983 1984 1986 11.182 20. Ravidas M. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Veb Warnowerft Stocznia Gdanska Im. U. U. V. Vishva Nandini M. V. V.802 6.720 11.144 11.776 20.439 12. Kabirdas M. S/O Mizoram M.966 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Singapore Shipbuilding & Engineering Narasaki Shipbuilding Company Kochi Jyuko K. V.873 14. U.691 13. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Japan Japan 1971 1978 12.505 16.108 16. Vishva prafulla M. Indira Gandhi M.825 III . M. Indian Volour Bombay Marine Engg.696 22. V.828 20. V.963 21.289 15. Vishvakarma M. K.702 16. V.952 28.Dry cargo Binny Shipmanagement M.648 12. Lal Bahadur Shastri M. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. V.302 8. Lenina Uljanij pula Brogradiliste "Uljanik" Sunderland Shipbuilders Hindustan Shipyard Stocznia Gdanska Im.I India Steamship Co.968 35. K. V. V. S/O Gujarat M. V. K.146 20.648 12.209 16. V.034 14.873 11. V. Vishva Pallav M. S/O Manipur M. Japan Japan 1972 1976 9. V. V. S/O Orissa Shipyard Country Year of Built GRT DWT 1 A.401 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. V.Annexures Overseas fleet (as on December 31st. Lenina Hindustan Shipyard Hindustan Shipyard Hindustan Shipyard Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Germany Poland India Poland Germany U.146 16. "Weser" Werk Seebeck Germany 1971 9.400 6.629 15.166 11.840 20.169 16.209 20. V. Kurushima Dockyard Company Spocznia Singapore Japan Japan Japan Poland 1979 1979 1982 1982 1983 1982 1983 4. S/O Tripura M. V.395 13.546 2 Bombay Marine Engineering Works India 1973 472 700 3 4 Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.691 11. Balaji Vintage Binny Shipmanagement 5 6 M. Nirmal Bhushan M. Vishva Parag M.217 16.505 15.885 11. K. V. V.851 16.144 18.963 21.627 20. V.169 16. Ramdas M. V. V. Tulsidas M.715 16.100 7.854 35. V. Vishva Pankaj M.369 17. Trimbakeshwar M.209 15.691 13. S/O Nagaland M. G. Vibha .806 II . 1999) S. Balaji Diplomat M. V. Lenina Stocznia Gdanska Im. U.608 20.435 16. V. Veer Savarkar M.Cellular container Shipping Corporation of India M.224 2 3 4 Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.289 16.648 12. Imabari Shipbuilding Co.903 28. Vishva Parimal M.854 20.Research and Information Division 89 .847 18. Indian Goodwill Shipping Corporation of India M. South Korea India South Korea 1993 1993 1993 21.Dry cargo bulk carrier Arcadia Shipping M.756 1 1975 20. S/O Andhra Pradesh M.169 16.648 12. V. Arcadia Progress Balaji Distilleries M. S/O Hariyana M. Aditya Kiran Usuki Tekkosho Namura Shipbuilding Co. Indian Prosperity M.439 11. Poland Poland Poland Yugoslavia Croatia U.104 36. K. V. V. Lenina Hindustan Shipyard Gdansk Veb Warnowerft Sunderland Shipbuilders Sunderland Shipbuilders Sunderland Shipbuilders Sunderland Shipbuilders Sunderland Shipbuilders Stocznia Gdanska Im.691 13. S/O Arunachal Pradesh M. Vishva Kaumudi M.205 37. Chandidas M. Osaka Shipbuilding Co.745 16. V. Balaji Premium M.001 12. V.789 16.497 i-maritime .948 28.166 14. V. Bhavabhuti M. V. Rajiv Gandhi Shreyas Shipping Orient Prosperity Orient Vision Orient Commerce Orient Independence Orient patriot Orient Spirit Orient Strength 1 2 3 Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.166 14. Company and vessel I .648 13.648 13.001 13. V. Works M. V.868 16.266 15. V. V. Vishva Parijat M. V.267 18. Japan Japan Japan 1979 1982 1983 18.776 8. Lenina Stocznia Gdanska Im.166 14. K. V.369 6.963 28.308 21.800 16.
V. V. Company and vessel Century Shipping M. Jag Shanti ICICI M. Maratha Mission M. V. Aditya Gaurav M.815 43. GE . Jag Vikram M. Maratha Mighty M. 1976 15.248 24. Jag Kanti M. V. Sunrise Samrat Asia M.361 22. Aditya Kanti M.978 26. V. V.829 26.635 2. Pearl Grace Radiant Shipping M.300 76.1 M.029 60. Jag Rekha M.671 41. V.873 18 Spain 1975 44.893 43. Jag Rashmi M. Keelung India India Japan Taiwan Taiwan 1985 1988 1995 1996 1997 41.183 2. Keelung CSBC Shipyard .Research and Information Division 90 .973 41.316 46 Kasado Dockyard Co.102 i-maritime . Bay Island Essar Shipping M. V. V.421 23. Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy industries Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Osaka Zosensho Hitachi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Aditya Gautam Chettinad Cement M.905 76.183 26. V. K. Nippon Kai Heavy Industries Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Caneco Shipyard Japan Brazil 1977 1982 20. V.706 26. V.345 37.576 24.000 38.700 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ratna Deep Pearl Ship M.781 27.910 35. V. Maratha Majesty M.093 39.104 36. Radhika M.554 39 40 41 42 Mhi Yokohama Shipyard & Engin Works Sanoyasu Dockyard Co.847 53. V.882 47.432 47 Hitachi Japan 1974 34.920 58. Pearl Luck M. Osaka Zosensho Namura Shipbuilding Co. 1999) S.604 41.936 21. V.183 16.169 34. V.652 22.010 27. V. V.047 28.800 72.156 20 Hindustan Shipyard India 1984 16.No. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.852 76.852 38.824 26. V.650 71.044 77.575 26.183 41. Jag Ravi M.635 48 Dalian shipyard China 1982 18. Chettinad Tradition Chowgule Steamship M. Damodar Krishna Ellon Hinengo M.645 38 Sumitomo Heavy Industries Japan 1978 19. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. V. V.050 24.545 37 Japan 1972 15.589 13 14 15 16 17 Cochin Shipyard Cochin Shipyard Namura Shipbuilding Co.592 1.111 23.137 39. V. V. V.815 11 12 Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. Nand Rati Great Eastern Shipping M. Namura Shipbuilding Co. Japan Japan Japan 1979 1979 1984 1981 29. Maratha Messenger M. V.014 42.950 27. CSBC Shipyard .498 26.490 35.2 M. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Japan Japan South Korea South Korea 1977 1984 1994 1994 16.732 21. V.190 1. Jag Vasant Salgaocar Mining Industries M.432 42.644 55.300 43 Cochin Shipyard India 1983 41. V. Chettinad Prince M. V. V.393 16. GE .557 2.680 31. V. V.440 44 45 Nippon Kokan K. Aditya Gopal M. Maratha Memory Damodar Bulk Carriers M. Jag Manek M.676 26. V.502 45.867 37. Vidya M. Pearl Prosperity India Cement ICL Raja Rajan ICL Parthibhan ICL Raja Mahendran ICL Jayam Kondam India Steamship Company M. Jag Rishi M. Namura Shipbuilding Co. Jag Raksha M.910 16. Emaq Engenhariae Bharati Shipyard Private Limited Bharati Shipyard Private Limited Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Brazil India India 1976 1977 1977 1977 1977 1980 1981 1983 1984 1984 1984 1990 1992 1997 1997 1984 22. V.670 19 A/S Nordsovaerftet Denmark 1985 1. V.745 26. V.Annexures Overseas fleet (as on December 31st.592 24.308 43. V.374 35. Jag Vikas M. Hashihama Zosen Japan Japan 1985 1985 24.592 43. Jag Rani IL&FS M.252 72. V. Samrat Ruckka Shipyard Country Year of Built GRT DWT 7 8 9 10 Hayashikane Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.688 38.653 26.643 37. V. Jag Ratna M. Jag Rahul M.
211 42.940 38.628 42. V.633 33. V.648 48.621 36. V.864 33.398 83 Kanda Zosensho K. Hyundai Heavy industries Co.211 19. Lok Prem M. Maizuru Works Japan Japan Japan Japan India Japan 1977 1977 1982 1983 1988 1989 10. K.739 28.029 33.253 26. 1999) S. Lok Prakash M. V. Nand Srishti M. V. V. Prabhu Jivesh M.098 40. K.277 47.325 84 85 86 87 88 89 Kanda Zosensho K.040 28.739 28.952 16.800 47. Lok Kirti M. V. V. Lok Kranti M.384 26.900 16.531 24.651 43.739 16.Annexures Overseas fleet (as on December 31st. Kanasashi Shipbuilding Co.818 16. Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan India Japan Japan 1983 1983 1984 1984 1985 1987 1991 1991 25.019 38.029 28. Prabhu Puni M.605 Rheinstahl Nordseewerke Gmbh Germany 1982 11.175 47. Tsuneishi Zosen K. V. Patliputra M. Hardwar M. V. V.329 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 Kasado Dockyard Co.540 21. Japan Japan Japan Japan South Korea 1977 1978 1984 1986 1986 21. V.742 22. Prabhu Das M.714 45.989 90 Nippon Kokan K. V. Nippon Kokan K.835 16. Minami Nippon Zosen K.905 25. Chennai Veeram M.739 28.700 24.096 18.941 26. V. Sanmar Progress M. Kanasashi Shipbuilding Co.299 27. V. APJ Anand M. V. V. Chennai Polivu M.000 78 79 80 81 82 Kasado Shipyard Hyundai Heavy industries Co.650 39. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. Lok Maheswari M. V.303 47. V. Jag Vijay Tolani M. Rishkesh M. Hyundai Heavy industries Co.995 23.158 41.790 26. Priyamvada Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.111 23.836 41.595 43.739 28. K.281 26.816 28. Surya Kripa 100 M. Sanmar Pageant Shipping Corporation of India M.991 23. Lok Pratima M. V. Sanmar Pride M. V. Murshidabad M. Lok Pragati M. Prabhu Satram M.808 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 Kanasashi Shipbuilding Co. Dempo & Co 101 M. Japan 1984 19. South Korea South Korea South Korea 1978 1983 1983 1983 1986 14.195 47.872 26. V.009 25.817 25.351 47.834 28.739 28. V.No.213 76. Mandakini M.280 31. V.222 47. V.699 27.385 37. V.739 28.739 28. V.319 15. V. V. Varanasi M. V. Chettinad Princess South India Corporation M. Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.315 47.899 28. V. V.894 7. Maharashtra M. Kanpur M.991 23. V. V.311 47.752 16.633 76.714 26.739 28. K. APJ Sushma M. Sanoyas Hishino Meisho Corporation Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.639 26. K. V.991 21.739 28.225 47. Kanasashi Zosensho Kanasashi Zosensho Cochin Shipyard Hitachi Zosen. APJ Anjali M. Sanmar Pioneer M.997 16.928 47. Prabhu Mihika Imabari Zosen K.926 18.460 i-maritime .739 16. Chennai Valarchi M.192 27.816 15. Alaknanda M. Japan Japan 1985 1985 24. V. Chettinad Glory Surrendra Overseas M.416 35.905 41. Oshima Ship Building Co. Lok Rajeshwari M. Dakshineshwar M. V.744 43. Goa SISCO M.487 42. V.010 16. V. Ganga Sagar M. V. V. Japan 1977 14.883 27. APJ Shalin M.716 43. Matru Kripa V.982 37.469 Varun Shipping 99 M. V. Rani Padmini M. Lok Pratap M. V. K. Uttarkashi M. V.739 28. Hindustan Shipyard Hashihama Zosen K. APJ Akhil TBR Radiant star M. Company and vessel Shipyard Country Year of Built GRT DWT 49 50 51 52 53 Sanmar Shipping M. S. Tsuneishi Zosen K.341 47. K.Research and Information Division 91 .908 41.022 38. Prabhu Parvati M. V. Koyo Dockyard Co. V. K. Prabhu Yuvika M. V. APJ Angad M. Cochin Shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Hindustan Shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Hindustan Shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Hindustan Shipyard Hindustan Shipyard Hindustan Shipyard Hindustan Shipyard Hindustan Shipyard Japan Japan India India South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea India South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea India India India India India India India 1975 1978 1981 1981 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1988 1989 1989 1990 1993 1995 1998 19. V. V. Prabhu Daya M. V. V. Dev Prayag M.311 26. V. Sanmar Pavillion M. K.639 24. V.869 16.
Satyamurti M. T. T. T. T. T. R. T.131 28. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Maj.153 67.051 9 Ishikawjima Harima Heavy Industries Japan 1982 40. Samsung Heavy Industries Co. T. V. T.351 115.778 51. Somnath Sharma PVC M. 1999) S. Dhansingh Thapa PVC M. Gandhar M. Vivekananda M.906 11. Ratna Abha Shipping Corporation of India M. Maj.429 85. T.130 80.718 51. T. U.778 80.169 67. South Korea 1992 1999 78. AD Tarapore PVC M. Kanchanjunga M. V.Annexures Overseas fleet (as on December 31st. Piru Singh PVC M. T.411 89. V. Maj. T. Oil.604 i-maritime . Kishore M. T.723 276.533 63. T. Jag Leela Ratnakar Shipping M.885 37. Netaji Subash Bose M.755 67.374 145. Abdul Kalam Azad 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.392 89. Minami Nippon Japan Japan 1981 1981 3.137 67.718 79.450 V . Shravan M.544 149. T. Chhartrapati Shivaji M. South Korea South Korea 1981 1981 13.155 40. Hyundai Heavy industries Co. V. B. T. Jag Ladki M.000 149.718 51.544 7 8 Harland & Wolff SB & HI Samsung Shipbuilding Co.718 79.Research and Information Division 92 .478 41.070 29. Hyundai Heavy industries Co.990 2 3 Asakawa Shipbuilding Co. K. Bulk carriers Essar Shipping M.885 37.454 89.717 51. Naik Jadunath singh PVC M. Maj. T. T.569 153. Company Hav. Rajendra Prasad M. Maharshi Dayanand M. Subedar joginder Singh PVC M. Gem of Madras 104 M.135 19.075 2 3 Gotaverken Oresundsvarvet AB Gotaverken Oresundsvarvet AB Sweden Sweden 1978 1978 66. Nanda Great Eastern Shipping M. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.855 37.242 105.490 89. Shaitan Singh PVC M. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Gurubachan singh Salaria M. Iswari M.Tankers (crude oil) Essar Shipping M.635 25. T.885 37.813 65.793 89. T.020 92. Rama Raghoba Rane PVC M.614 60. Hitachi Zosen Technical Services Corp.Ore. LokmanyaTilak M. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.130 51. T.371 89. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.569 80.185 67. T.644 66.020 139. Guru Gobind singh PVC M. Aditya Vikram M. T.Tankers (product carriers) Amer Ship Management Amer Energy Century Shipping M.855 37.130 80. T.124 85.000 153. Motilal Nehru M. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Gem of Vizag IV .602 19.130 80. Nand Hari 1 1979 18.115 139. Samsung Shipbuilding Co. Maharaja Agrasen M. Split Japan Japan Yugoslavia 1985 1986 1989 23. Maharshi Karve Shipyard Country Year of Built GRT DWT Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. T. T. T. T.161 67.687 VI . T. T. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.164 67.855 51. Nand Kishore M.820 37. South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea 1991 1991 1991 1992 1992 1992 79. Kamlesh M.885 37.101 30. Nand Shivchand Shipping Corporation of India M.644 123.718 74. T. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Gem of Tuticorin 103 M.718 80.885 37.899 7. Cochin Shipyard Cochin Shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.450 123.850 16.115 139. T. T. T. Jawaharlal Nehru M.710 58. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.167 67.320 1 Cantieri Navali Riuniti Italy 1982 37.938 48. Cochin Shipyard Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Croatia Croatia South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea India India South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea India 1973 1974 1974 1974 1975 1975 1975 1975 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1985 1985 1985 1990 1992 1994 1994 1995 1995 1999 51.460 139.227 67.990 4 5 Samsung Shipbuilding Co.429 139.535 51.170 67. T. V. Capt.000 153. Lance Naik Karam singh M.885 37.No. Hyundai Heavy industries Co. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.225 67. Ambedkar M.300 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Brodogradiliste I Tvornica Diesel Motora Brodogradiliste "Uljanik" Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ankleshwar M. Company and vessel West Asia Maritime 102 M.526 51.000 153.885 37. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. V. T. T. T. Abdul Hamid PVC M. Chanda M. T. Aditya Vijay Essar Shipping M.885 37.
T.045 17. OG Maskinbyg Denmark 1971 8.199 13.704 28. T.411 24. Sabarimalai Southern Petrochemicals Industries M. Jag Praja M. T.473 45. Rabindranath Tagore M.150 29.400 17. & Engg.990 29. Hashihama Zosen K.864 48. SPIC Pearl M.206 20. A. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Jag Pradip M. V.247 VII .035 21. Shakti doot M. Bharat Darsan M. T. T.577 7 Kurinoura Dockyard Co.279 8. Hoshiar Singh PVC M. T. Jag Pari M.514 11. Sanmar Sentinal M. L. Jag Pranam M. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Jhulelal M.045 15. T. K. Mosor" Brodogradiliste ''J. Guangzhou Shipyard Hanjin Heavy Industries Co.271 17. T. Jag Padma M.860 i-maritime .627 27. Hanjin Heavy Industries Co. T. Jag Prakash M.051 20 Japan 1982 29.532 21 22 23 1982 1979 1981 26.469 29.600 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Brodogradiliste '' III Maj" Brodogradiliste "J. T. T. Co. T.627 58. Kolandia M.542 27.704 28. Scotts SB & Mchy Co.712 17. Lt Arun Khedar Pal M.122 31. Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy industries Hellenic Shipyards Hellenic Shipyards Odense Shipyard Korea Shipbuilding & Engineering Corp.Annexures Overseas fleet (as on December 31st.116 17. Praibha Krishna M. T.279 28. Maj. A. Jaladoot Scotts SB & Mchy Co. T. T. Hanjin Heavy Industries Co.017 50. T.045 15. Pratibha Cauvery Sanmar Shipping M. Pratibha Yamuna M. Astilleros Amesa S. Croatia Croatia Croatia Greece Japan South Korea Mexico South Korea South Korea China South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea 1976 1976 1977 1982 1983 1985 1985 1985 1985 1991 1993 1994 1998 1999 15. U. K. Mosor" Hellenic Hayashikane SB.Passenger-cum-cargo Andaman & Nicobar Administration M.970 26. T.827 21. T.679 28. Vishwadoot M. T.135 45. T.121 7.013 4 5 6 Scheepswerf "De Hoop" B.991 27.No.693 45.515 26.940 40 41 42 Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Kanda Zosensho K.360 50.017 28. K. V. SPIC Emerald M.Acid carriers Shipping Corporation of India M. Vayudoot 1 2 3 Astilleros Espanoles S. T. Planimalai M. Jag Prayog M.901 32.485 45.268 46.959 17.453 29. K.135 32. T. A. T.679 47.035 31. T. Japan Japan 1982 1982 1984 18. Jag Priya M.999 34.989 29. T. T.010 21.751 22. A. K. T. Korea Shipbuilding & Engineering Corp. Dadabhai Navroji M. Lance Naik Albert Ekka M. T.704 16.Research and Information Division 93 .010 18. T. T. K.450 18.415 28.810 24 25 Odense Shipyard Odense Staal Skibsuaerft Denmark Denmark 1986 1985 28. Suvarna Swarjaya M. Astilleros Espanoles S. T.704 28. T.990 50. Aurobindo M. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.004 31. T. A/S Nakskov Skibsvaerft Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Nippon Kokan K.474 21.954 45. Jag Pragati M.013 31.542 18.490 24.374 25. Scotland Scotland Japan Japan Japan Japan Greece Greece Denmark South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea 1974 1975 1978 1981 1982 1982 1982 1982 1984 1985 1985 1995 1996 1999 15. T. Jag Palak M. SPIC Diamond Varun Shipping M. Hyundai Heavy industries Co. Bakim Chandra Chaterjee M. Jag Preeti M.481 26. T. T. T.827 24. Jag Pratap M. Hyundai Heavy industries Co. Netherlands Denmark South Korea 1978 1983 1991 13. T.489 20. T. 1999) S. Sampurna Swarjaya Varun Shipping M.990 19.421 45. Kurinoura Dock K.999 29. T. T. Jag Laxmi IL&FS M.778 23.199 17.775 45.080 32.820 VIII .600 50.771 17. Astilleros Espanoles S. T. Vasaveswara M.048 29. T. Japan 1980 4. Mexico Mexico Mexico 1991 1992 1992 21. Hanjin Heavy Industries Co. Company and vessel Shipyard Country Year of Built GRT DWT 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Great Eastern Shipping M. Sanmar Symphony Shipping Corporation of India M. T. Jag Prabhu M.684 105. Akbar 1 Helsingor Skibsv. Flying Officer Nirmal Singh Sekhavat PVC M.600 28. Sanmar Sonata Pratibha Shipping M.970 45. L.199 28.035 21. Tirumalai M.600 26. Nippon Kokan K.
T.165 17. Company and vessel IX . Annapurna Varun Shipping M. T. T. Dunkerque Norway U.742 3. South Korea South Korea 1991 1991 17.705 Total (overseas vessels) 241 6. Shivneri Shipyard Country Year of Built GRT DWT 1 2 Kurushima Dockyard Co. Raigad M.308 28.092 15. T.712. Hyundai Heavy industries Co. i-maritime .736 10.283 X .281 6.601 4 5 6 Moss Rosenburg Verft Swan Hunters Shipbuilding Chantiers De France.559 31. Jag Vayu Shipping Corporation of India M. France 1975 1976 1976 15.650 38.LPG carriers Great Eastern Shipping M.778 17.No.Timber carriers Garware Shipping M.698 Note : SISICO’s fleet which has been mentioned independately in DG Shipping’s Tonnage Statement. Maharshi Vyas M. 1999) S. T.Annexures Overseas fleet (as on December 31st.400 2 3 Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Nanga Parbat M. Maharshi Vishwamitra 1 Hellenic Shipyard Greece 1978 21.Research and Information Division 94 . 1978 1979 3. Maharshi Vasishth M. T. K. T.744 6.372. is now a part of Essar Shipping.223 18.778 17. T.601 17.
V.Dry cargo 1 2 3 Administration of U T of Lakshdweep M.250 11 12 13 Nieuwe Noord Nederlandse Scheepswerven N Batservice Verft A/S P/F Skala Skipasmidja Netherlands Norway 1966 1969 1973 499 402 300 1.874 1. V. Vibha . V. Maratha Convey Harlingen S/W Garuda Carriers & Shipping M. Samrat Ajay M. Sundari Polaris Shipping M. V. Maratha Courage M. V. M. V.836 1. V.594 1. V. V. V.836 1. Maratha Cruiser M.000 23 24 Mangala Engineering Works Private Limited Mangala Engineering Works Private Limited India India 1983 1987 950 1.350 i-maritime . Shipyard Schouten Scheepswerf Hoja Belgium 1974 499 825 28 ABG Shipyard. Pranik Pravesh Reacon Engineers (India) M.800 3. V. V. . V. V.575 1. Ispat Sagar Krasnoiyrskiy Sudostroitelniy Zavod M. S. V.193 25 26 N. Shipyard Schouten Scheepswerf Hoja G.047 3.593 2.800 2.528 2. M. V. V. U. E. Lacca Dives Alcock Ashdown & Co.489 19 20 Bharati Shipyard Bharati Shipyard India India 1998 1998 1.048 2.599 3. R. Savitri M.4 Hauers Lines M. V. E. S.528 21 22 Orskovs Staalskibsvaerft Johan Drage A/S Denmark 1969 1976 298 299 957 1. Maratha Classic M. Namratha Samrat Asia M. Mangal Meena M. V. V. Engineering Works Private Limited Belgium India 1974 1984 499 569 869 891 27 N. V. 1999) S. Cheriyam Alcock Ashdown & Co.II Bombay Marine Engineering Works Private Limited India Chowgule Steamship M. Solomon 1975 499 700 7 8 9 10 Sing Koon Seng (Pte) Chowgule & Co. V. G.No. Island Grace Mangla Bulk Carriers M.493 2.Research and Information Division 95 . U. .836 1. Mangal Jyoti Mercator Lines M. India 1981 1981 1982 1998 1.593 1. V. Ispat Shakti Krasnoiyrskiy Sudostroitelniy Zavod M. Atlas Fortune India India India 1992 1994 1997 738 738 738 900 900 960 Shipyard Country Year of built GRT DWT 4 Amic Technocons India 1991 199 350 5 West Coast Lighterage Company India 1978 437 600 6 Bombay Marine Engineering Works M. V. V.108 15 16 17 18 U.I Atlas Shipping M. Ispat Shanti Krasnoiyrskiy Sudostroitelniy Zavod M. V. Kashi Sagar Sadhana Technical Works M.878 2.175 808 827 14 Fairmacs Shipping & Transport Services M. Amic . Company and vessel I . S. S. Nicotrade M.874 2.100 32 33 Magdala Shipyard Private Limited Magdala Shipyard Private Limited India India 1995 1995 1.532 2. Island Pride M. Rossana Recon International M. 1979 1.294 2. R.594 1. Maratha Crystal Ellon Hinengo M. Bintulu Singapore India India Malaysia 1990 1993 1994 1997 1. S.350 2.874 2. V. Magdala India 1997 1. R. V. R.800 2. Amic Technocons M.986 1.064 30 1970 461 527 31 Frederikshavn Yard & Dockyard Denmark 1972 1. Samrat Vijaya U. V.Annexures Coastal fleet (as on December 31st.680 29 Aarhus Flydock & Maskinkomp Frederikshav Denmark 1969 399 1. S.3 M. Goa Bornea Shipyard. V. Ubaidulla Alcock Ashdown & Co. Ispat Gaurav Chowgule & Co. V. John Richardson M. Great Eastern Shipping M.446 1. Lotelim Yard. V. V. V. V. G. Nand Mayur Pranik Shipping M. S.
V. TCI Shakti M.014 2.350 II . V. Japan 1976 457 279 2 1998 117 0 3 Hooghly Docking & Engineering Co. Company and vessel Shipyard Country Year of built GRT DWT 34 Sealand Shipping & Export M. V. V.874 1.557 2.IV ET-V E T .350 2. Gulma Krystavgen Ship & Batbyggeri Shaparia Shipping M.229 2. V. Bhoruka Prabhu A/S Nordsovaerftet M.897 35 36 37 Denmark Norway 1967 1970 1971 760 690 332 830 844 360 38 Shaparia Dock and Steel India 1976 483 696 39 40 41 A/S Nordsovaerftet A/S Nordsovaerftet Denmark Denmark 1982 1985 1984 1. Mangalam M. Private Limited M.Annexures Coastal fleet (as on December 31st.874 1.160 46 47 48 49 Magdala Magdala Magdala Magdala Shipyard Shipyard Shipyard Shipyard Private Private Private Private Limited Limited Limited Limited India India India India 1994 1994 1994 1994 1. V. Bhoruka-I A/S Nordsovaerftet M.VII E T .VIII E T .156 3.350 2. V.VI Essar Steel E T . Neerja M. V.572 290 290 290 292 398 250 193 0 0 0 0 0 24 Kiong Nguong Shipbuilding Contractor Company Singapore 1997 91 0 i-maritime .Research and Information Division 96 . Maratha Concord Astilleros Del Cantabrico y De Riera Shanti Shipping Co. V. V. V. Island Queen Batservice Verft A/S M. Adi Shakti Akam Shipping Tug Khusboo Amit Ship Management M. India 1976 313 0 4 5 Bharati Shipyard Private Limited Bharati Shipyard Private Limited India India 1999 1999 465 465 0 0 6 7 8 9 Universal Universal Universal Universal Dockyard Dockyard Dockyard Dockyard Limited Limited Limited Limited China China China China 1991 1991 1992 1992 225 225 225 225 0 0 0 0 10 11 12 13 ABG ABG ABG ABG Shipyard Shipyard Shipyard Shipyard India India India India 1996 1996 1996 1996 293 293 293 293 0 0 0 0 14 15 16 Bodewes Bergum B.818 3. V. V. Bhoruka-II A/S Nordsovaerftet M. Lakshmi Mexico 1978 1.557 1. K. Bristwo Bharati Shipyard Rel Tug VI Rel Tug VII Essar Shipping E T . TCI Vijay M. Navale Ferrari Bharati Shipyard Private Limited Bharati Shipyard Private Limited Bharati Shipyard Private Limited Japan Italy India India India 1985 1987 1996 1997 1998 1999 1994 217 2. Island Princess Orskovs Staalskibsvaerft M.510 710 710 1. V.510 1.III E T .874 1.874 2.No. V. Kumar M. V. Cant.Tugs 1 Aditi Shipping M.350 2. V. Allied Shipbuilders Limited Allied Shipbuilders Limited Netherlands Canada Canada 1975 1982 1982 610 841 841 193 521 521 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Yokohama Yacht Co. Hemant Sagar TCI Seaways M. Bhoruka Vikram A/S Nordsovaerftet Vikram Shipping M.298 42 43 44 45 Transport Corporation of India M.IX ET-X Gal Offshore Shipping Sharda M Gal Beauford Sea Gal Rose Sea Great Eastern Shipping Rishab Malini Anasuya Kumari Tarani Kanti Vahbiz Sangita Jesia Mistry Agencies RESCO . V. 1999) S. Vasavadatta Denmark Denmark Denmark Denmark 1976 1976 1978 1982 300 300 400 1. T.I Sanyo Zosen K.
Annexures Coastal fleet
(as on December 31st, 1999)
S.No. Company and vessel
Dong Hae SB. Co.
Mangala Engineering Works Mangala Engineering Works
A. B. Lodose Varf
Eriksbergs M/V A/B
K. K. Matsuura Zosensho
Shipping Corporation of India M. T. Jay Narayan Vyas J. L. Mosor Trogir M. T. R. A. Kidwai Brodogradiliste "J. L. Mosor"
V - Tankers (crude oil carriers) Shipping Corporation of India 1 M. T. C. V. Raman Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 2 M. T. Homi Bhabha Mitsubishi Heavy Industries VI - Passenger-cum-cargo Administration of U T of Lakshdweep 1 M. V. Bharat Seema Moss Rosenberg Verft A/s 2 M. V. Tipu Sultan Agro SB. & Repairing Co. 3 M. V. Dweep sethu Chowgule & Co. Andaman & Nicobar M. V. Sentinel M. V. Chowra
1964 1982 1985
2,997 3,748 492
1,733 3,028 98
Mazagon Dock Limited Mazagon Dock Limited
i-maritime - Research and Information Division
Annexures Coastal fleet
(as on December 31st, 1999)
S.No. Company and vessel 6 7 8 M. V. Nicobar M. V. Nancowry M. V. Swaraj Dweep Shipyard Stocznia Szczecinska Stocznia Szczecinska Country Poland Poland Year of built 1990 1991 1999 GRT 14,195 14,176 14,239 DWT 5,200 4,963 4,650
Shipping Corporation of India M. V. Harshavardhan Mazagon Dock Limited M. V. Ramanujam Husumer Schiffswerft Union of India (MOST) M. V. Yerewa
Mazagon Dock Limited
VII - Passenger services Damania Shipping 1 Damania Hind Offshore M. V. Kenwell - 93 M. V. Sumai Tangkas S. K. S. Jasmine Tulip Seaspan Shipping Seaspan III
Calmarine (Pte) Ltd.
U. K. U. K.
Triton Overwater Transport Agency Triton - I Griffon Triton - II Griffon SVUL Project M. V. Satyam M. V. Shivam M. V. Sundram
U. K. U. K.
9 10 11
1988 1988 1988
122 122 122
0 0 0
VIII - Ethylene gas carrier Reliance Industries 1 Relgas Isheta 2 Relgas Nayantra 3 Relgas Vikram IX - Ro-Ro Natvar Parikh Industries 1 M. V. N. P. Gopi
Bodewes Schpsw "Volharding" Foxhol B.V. Bodewes Schpsw "Volharding" Foxhol B.V. Rauma-Repola Offshore, Mantyluoto
1991 1991 1991
3,035 3,035 2,655
2,647 2,628 1,685
Singapore Shipbuilding Engineering
X - Dredger Dredging Corporation of India 1 DCI Dredge I IHC 2 DCI Dredge V A Vuyk And Zosen Scheepswerven N V 3 DCI Dredge VI IHC Verschure NV 4 DCI Dredge VII Mazagon Dock Limited 5 DCI Dredge VIII IHC GustoB V 6 DCI Dredge IX IHC SmitBV 7 DCI Dredge XI IHC SmitBV 8 DCI Dredge XII IHC SmitBV 9 DCI Dredge XIV IHC Holland 10 DCI Dredge XV 11 DCI Dredge Aquarius De Merwede 12 DCI Tug VI Kambara Marine Development & SB Co. Jaisu Shipping Kamal XXV
Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands India Neitherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands
1972 1974 1975 1976 1977 1984 1986 1990 1991 1999 1977
Mazagon Dock Ltd.
XI - Offshore supply vessels Administration of U T of Lakshdweep 1 M. V. Thinnakara Alcock Ashdown & Co. Dolphin offshore OSV Ganga Essar Shipping M. V. Nand Heera M. V. Nand Krishna
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Machinery Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Machinery
i-maritime - Research and Information Division
084 1. V. Malavia IV M. V.10 M.14 M. 1999) S. V. Nandan Nippon Kokan K.I M. Sindhu . V. V.1 M. Samudrika .11 M.1 M. V.323 1. Samudrika . V. Nippon Kokan K. Sindhu . V.11 M.8 M. Garware . Malavia VI M.450 1. 1971 629 759 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 Mazagon Dock Limited Mazagon Dock Limited Mazagon Dock Limited Mazagon Dock Limited Inchon Engineering & shipbuilding Corporation Inchon Engineering & shipbuilding Corporation Inchon Engineering & shipbuilding Corporation Inchon Engineering & shipbuilding Corporation Inchon Engineering & shipbuilding Corporation Inchon Engineering & shipbuilding Corporation Inchon Engineering & shipbuilding Corporation Mazagon Dock Limited Mazagon Dock Limited Mazagon Dock Limited Mazagon Dock Limited Goa Shipyard Goa Shipyard Goa Shipyard Hindustan Shipyard Hindustan Shipyard Hindustan Shipyard Hindustan Shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Southern Ocean Shipping Co.17 M.073 1. V. Sindhu .6 M. Malavia I M. Garware .302 1. Sindhu .313 1. Samudrika .751 3 4 5 Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Machinery Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Machinery Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Machinery South Korea South Korea South Korea 1984 1984 1984 1. Greenbay Marine Pte Greenbay Marine Pte Greenbay Marine Pte Japan Japan Japan Norway Japan Japan Singapore Singapore Singapore 1983 1984 1984 1980 1981 1983 1999 1989 1989 1989 869 1.12 M.6 M. Sindhu .450 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 950 57 Halter Marine U.302 1. Samudrika .7 M.302 1. V.310 1. Nippon Kokan K. V. V.313 DWT 1.517 2.10 M. Garware .450 1. Seaspan .16 M. V.050 1. Samudrika .V Great Eastern Shipping M.313 1.450 1.310 1. V. Pte. Pte.450 1.8 M.450 1.I Shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Machinery Country South Korea Year of built 1984 GRT 1. V.302 1. Garware . V.5 M.17 M. V.323 1. Malavia IX M.450 1. V. Nand Panna GAL Offshore Shipping Gal Amer Sea Garware Shipping M. V. Pte. K. Sindhu .251 1.310 1. K. V. V. Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore 1983 1983 1984 1984 1984 881 881 881 881 881 1. V. Feromina Harvest ONGC M. V.No.751 1. Sindhu . V. Samudrika . Southern Ocean Shipping Co.2 M. Samudrika . Samudrika . Samudrika . Sindhu . V.12 M.450 1.180 810 810 810 1.18 Seaspan Shipping M. Sindhu .2 M.4 M. Company and vessel 5 M. Southern Ocean Shipping Co.313 1.302 1.450 1.450 1. V. V. V. Southern Ocean Shipping Co. Malavia V M.14 M. Nand Krishna M. Pte. Sindhu . V. .7 M. Sindhu . V.3 M.5 M.III M.450 1. Sindhu .450 1. Pte.450 1.302 1. V. K. Sindhu . V.302 1. V. Pte. Southern Ocean Shipping Co. V. V.351 2. Samudrika .Annexures Coastal fleet (as on December 31st.II M. V. Pte. V. Samudrika .450 1.450 1. Samudrika . Samudrika .323 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 949 1.3 M. V. V. V. 1984 157 0 i-maritime . Samudrika . Samudrika . V.15 M. V. Nand Heera M. Pte. Malavia II M. V. V. Samudrika . V.Research and Information Division 100 .302 1. V. Garware . Flekkefjord Langsten Slip & Batbyggeri A/S Sanyo Shipyard Co.4 M. V.050 1. Sindhu . Malavia XI M. Sindhu .450 1. Malavia III M.751 1.310 1.IV M. Malavia XIV Hede Ferominas M. V.050 1. V. Malavia XII M. V. Sindhu .9 M.751 6 1975 640 0 7 8 9 10 11 Maroil Maroil Maroil Maroil Maroil Engineers Engineers Engineers Engineers Engineers & & & & & Shipbulding Shipbulding Shipbulding Shipbulding Shipbulding Pte. V. Pte.310 1. S.050 1. V.242 993 993 1.085 650 650 1.9 M. V. Samudrika . Sigbjorn Iversen Mek Verksted.050 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Imamura Zosen Teraoka Shipyard Co.542 0 0 0 23 Vosper Thornycroft Uniteers Pte. Malavia X M. Nand Panna Essar Shipping M.15 M. V. V.16 M. India India India India South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea South Korea India India India India India India India India India India India India India India India India Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore 1984 1985 1985 1986 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1987 1992 1993 1993 1986 1986 1986 1985 1986 1986 1987 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 1985 1985 1986 1986 1.
V. V. Samudra Sarvekshak Societe Nouvelle Des Ateliers Et Chantie M.348 1.817 68 J.G. Samudra Sanchani (Research) M. SCI . M.970 8 9 10 Aktien-Gesellschaft "Weser" Seebeckwerft Delta Shipyard B. M. V. V.310 1.825 94 94 11 Steward Sea Craft U. Srivastava Robin Shipyard Pte. Capt. 1970 99 99 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ONGC M. SCI . V.239 1.310 1. M.02 Robin Shipyard Pte. Sagar Vijay(D/S) Hitachi Zosen Corporation M. Pte. V. S.189 9. M. SCI .485 2. V. V. Juvale Robin Shipyard Pte. F. V.500 11. Dr.755 602 1. SCI .248 3. Netherlands Netherlands 1985 1985 1985 2. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research M. V. Flamboyan Bombay Offshore Supplies & Services M. Company and vessel Shipping Corporation of India M. Scheepswerf "De Hoop" B. V.707 781.430 2. V. 1974 715 1. V. Samudra suraksha Ankerlokken Vaerft Forde A/S M.I (AHT) Shimoda Dockyard Co. V. V.156 4. Sagar Deep Brodogradiliste Titovo M. Sagar Samarat Mitsubishi Heavy Industries M. V. V. 1999) S.310 1.758 1.775 1.Research and Information Division 101 . U. Hitzler Schiffswerft Und Maschinenf Germany 1969 487 737 XII . V.103 6.310 1.124 2.776 1. V. Hitzler Schiffswerft Und Maschinenf Germany 1972 490 860 Total (coastal vessels) 269 679. Peerless Stena .966 2.809 1.006 4.096 2. SCI . V. Delta Shipyard B.771 1. Peerless Stena . V.812 1. Kansi Namrata Shipyard Country Year of built GRT DWT 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 1985 1985 1.05 Robin Shipyard Pte. M. V.018 1.661 800 4 1996 188 0 5 6 Croatia India 1983 1984 2. C. Norway Netherlands Netherlands 1983 1982 1984 2. V.No.398 4. Noorani Sea Horse 1983 392 469 2 Japan 1982 491 407 3 Denmark 1984 2.239 22 23 24 Tangen Verft A/S Scheepswerf "De Hoop" B.04 Robin Shipyard Pte. V.II M.300 2.568 162 7 Singapore (Rebuilt) Singapore 1981 4. M. Samudra Manthan Samudra Kaustubh Samudra Saudhikama Jaisu shipping M. Essar Stena .03 Robin Shipyard Pte. V. VNS Offshore Services M.817 1.145 9. V.001 1. Pearl (SPSM) South India Corporation Sagar sevak Japan Norway South Korea Japan Singapore South Korea India 1973 1982 1983 1985 1985 1985 1986 1986 1986 1987 4.310 1. V. V. SCI .I M. P. M. V.06 Robin Shipyard Pte.310 1. Sagar Sandhani Southern Ocean Shipping Co. S. Peerless Stena . Pradeep Rajabagan. Sagar Sampada Danneborg Vaerft A/S Department of Ocean Development M.018 4. V.186 5. V. V. M. Feroze Gandhi Robin Shipyard Pte.Specialized vessel for offshore services 1 Elcome Surveys M. G. M. Sagar Bhushan Hindustan Shipyard Peerless Drive M.927 i-maritime . Calcutta Essar Shipping M. Samudra Prabha (NDT) Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. V. V. Sagar Paschimi Director General of Lighthouses & Lightships M.310 1.I Geological Survey of India M. Nagendra Singh Robin Shipyard Pte.469 26 Verlome Netherlands 1966 482 670 27 J. Boss .310 1. Samudra Nidhi (MSV) Daewoo Shipbuilding & Heavy Machinery M.III Raj shipping M.995 11.103 2.758 1. M. M.964 3. Anweshak Samson Maritime M.374 284 284 1. V.124 2.Annexures Coastal fleet (as on December 31st. V.207 2. V. V.067 25 Atlantic Marine Inc. Sagarika IV M.310 1.01 Robin Shipyard Pte. M. V.310 1.819 1.
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