Indian Maritime Centre (IMC) holds first Board Meeting

The meeting of the first Directors of the Board of Indian Maritime Centre (IMC) was held in Mumbai on 14 October, 2024.  The Indian Maritime Centre was incorporated on 27 September, 2024, with its headquarters at Mumbai in the premises belonging to Maritime Training Institute of Shipping Corporation of India at Powai. The first Directors of the Board are as follows:

1. Devki Nandan, President, Indian Private Ports and Terminals Association (IPPTA)
2. Shankar Shinde, Immediate Past Chairman, Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations in India (FFFAI)
3. Vikas Vij, President, ICC Shipping Association (ICCSA)
4. Sankalp Shukla, Chairman, Foreign Owners representatives and Ship Managers Association (FOSMA)
5. Arjun Ashok Chowgule, President, Shipyards Association of India (SAI)
6. Maneesh Pradhan, Chairman, Maritime Association of Shipowners, Ship Managers and Agents (MASSA)
7. Rahul Modi, President, Coastal Container Transporters Association (CCTA)

In the meeting held on 14 October, 2024, the Board of Directors elected Devki Nandan as Chairman and Shankar Shinde as Vice Chairman of Board of Directors.  Capt. Sankalp Shukla will act as Secretary and Capt. Vikas Vij as Treasurer. R. Ravi Kumar, Secretary General of IPPTA, has been appointed as Acting CEO.

It was also decided to accept the applications of the Association of Container Train Operators (ACTO) and Indian Register of Shipping IR Class IRS as members of IMC.

The Maritime India Vision 2030 envisaged by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) identified the need to create an integrated Apex Maritime Body called the ‘India Maritime Centre’. A high-level task force was formed under the chairmanship of Addl. Secretary, MoPSW towards development of the same.

IMC will play a defining role to have a unified approach to maritime policy across different subsectors   focussing on building an integrated Indian maritime ecosystem, unified representation of the Indian maritime sector at international forums like IMO and relationship with global maritime community, integrated approach for creating global visibility and strong brand for Indian maritime sector and act as a think tank for the entire Indian maritime industry.

The Directors profusely thanked Bhushan Kumar, former Joint Secretary, Sagar Mala who played a stellar role in the formation of IMC.

Speaking on the occasion on behalf of the Directors, Devki Nandan stated that “It is a privilege and honour for me to serve as Chairman of IMC. We pledge to work towards promoting, developing and facilitating domestic and international maritime trade fostering economic growth in India and abroad. The upcoming years promise to be exciting for the Indian Maritime Sector, with significant investments in pipeline to incorporate cutting-edge technology, capacity building, and adopting the best international standards. We pledge our unwavering assistance to the Government in developing and implementing policies in respect of maritime sector to achieve the goals of Maritime India Vision 2030 & Maritime Amrit Kal Vision 2047 and make India as a growth engine for the world. We as an industry, have a huge responsibility to shape the future in a meaningful and impactful manner. This Apex body will assist Govt and all subsectors to adopt the uniform policies and make this sector as a role model.”

All the trade associations, major ports, maritime State Governments, State Maritime Boards, organisations, companies, institutions, bodies, esteemed maritime professionals and other stakeholders who are directly or indirectly connected with the Indian maritime trade are welcome to apply for joining IMC with a view to achieve the above objectives through the collective efforts of those in the trade itself.