For Dr Banga, the Chairman of Caravel Group, and Managing Director of Fleet Management, Dr Rajvanshy, it has been a time of reflection. The business today is a very different one from the one that they envisaged in the early 90s.
“When we set up the business, we didn’t start out with a vision to become one of the largest ship management companies in the world. In fact, there was no such thing in 1994; it was just an idea we had. Fortunately, it turned out to be a good one!” Dr Banga reflected.
30 years later, and the business has reached great heights: more than 650 vessels under management crewed by a roster of 27,000 seafarers and supported by 1,200 onshore staff. The portfolio of vessels runs from bulk carriers to ultra-large containerships and cutting-edge 180,000-cbm LNG carriers and customers come from every corner of the globe.
“Success is a byproduct of the work you perform,” Dr Rajvanshy added. The unwavering focus on safety, quality, teamwork and client satisfaction has steered the company’s growth over three decades.
All of which calls for a special celebration, and this autumn has seen a whole host of events and activities to mark this momentous milestone.
Kicking off the festivities was a client reception in Tokyo, marking the occasion with many customers, including some who have been partners of Fleet ever since 1997. It was also an opportunity for our partners to meet the CEO Elect, Captain Rajalingam Subramaniam, for the first time. Captain Raja officially joined on 21 October, heralded by an all-company town hall meeting.
The celebrations then moved on to Mumbai and the annual officers’ seminar. Hundreds of seafarers, onshore staff, government officials and partners attended the two-day event. The programme combined keynote speakers, sessions on crew safety and welfare, with an opportunity to mix in a more informal, social setting.
Following the events in Mumbai, the senior management team – led by Angad Banga, COO of The Caravel Group – returned to Hong Kong to take their place at the forefront of this Hong Kong Maritime Week which began on Sunday.
This year’s activities are particularly significant because the International Chamber of Shipping has chosen to host its Global Maritime Trade Summit in the city as part of the week-long focus on the shipping industry. Representatives from the International Maritime Organisation, World Trade Organization, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and member countries visited Hong Kong to participate in a dialogue around this year’s topic: “Risk and Resilience in an Age of Disruption.”
In his capacity as Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, Mr Banga delivered a number of keynote speeches notably at both the Global Maritime Trade Summit and the World Maritime Merchants Forum. The week will conclude with a reception to celebrate and raise a toast to the company’s 30th anniversary with partners. Further events are planned in more key markets before the end of the year.
Alongside these events, the company has been in the media limelight with special feature editions in Splash 247, TradeWinds and the Hong Kong Maritime Week Hub. The articles highlight the company’s achievements over the decades and underline the principles that have helped it sustain its success. Those principles – delivering customer excellence every time; a fanatical approach to safety; and putting people at the heart of the business – remain as true in 2024 as they did the day Dr Banga and Dr Rajvanshy opened the doors of the business.
Finally, the company marked its very special anniversary with the launch of a new website. Reflecting the changing nature of the maritime industry, Fleetship.com has a contemporary look and feel and features Fleet’s key strength – its people – front and centre.
Our growth would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our employees, seafarers and partners who have supported our journey over the last 30 years. They are the bedrock of the company’s success and will continue to partner and work together as a team for the next 30 years.
