Mumbai: The second annual India Shipping Summit held in Mumbai this week drew a record attendance of 587 delegates including the the crème de la crème of the local shipping industry. The event was jointly organised by Seatrade and TradeWinds at the Grand Hyatt venue and featured several panel sessions each day.
The Summit was opened by A.K. Mohapatra, secretary for the Department of Shipping, with the traditional lighting of the lamp. Featured speakers included Yudhishthir Khatau, president of the Indian National Shipowners Association and md of Varun Shipping; Sabyasachi Hajara, chairman and md of Shipping Corporation of India; Rishi Agarwal, ceo and md of ABG Shipyards... and many more.
Although the various sessions focused on specific sections of the industry, from Port Infrastructure and Finance to the Energy sector, there were notable recurring threads. These included the need for increased government support particularly with regard to the various taxes imposed on the shipping industry, which delegates felt were responsible for curbing the growth of the industry; a more supportive financial network that would allow for greater infrastructural investment in areas such as shipyards and the LNG sector; and the impending demolition of single-hull vessels which make up a large part of the Indian fleet.
Heated debates were cooled with the help of lavish meals and daily networking sessions, leading one delegate to describe the Summit as the pinnacle of shipping conferences. [12/10/06]
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