Capt. Vikas Vij, with 18 years of sea experience and 9 years of shore assignments, started I Marine Infratech Pvt. Ltd, a ship owning and manning company in 2005. Capt Vij is putting into best use, the experience he gained, in his business venture. Whether its sea or shore assignments; Capt Vikas Vij believes in hard work. His company now owns two coastal ships, and does crew management for NSSPL, Singapore, Marsol Dubai. His career path is inspiring for young seafarers. Our correspondent had a brief meeting with Capt. Vikas Vij.

Here are the Excerpts:

Jobships: Sir, you have established your own business venture ‘I Marine Infratech Pvt Ltd’. What is the vision behind it? Can you give some details about it?

Capt. Vij: Before starting IMarine Infratech, I held the shore positions with Chellaram Shipping, the company where I also sailed for 7 years and IMS Shipping respectively. But I always dreamt of owning a ship. To make it possible I established ‘I Marine Infratech Pvt Ltd’ - primarily a ship owning and manning company. Infact, I think, all Masters and Chief Engineers dreamt of owning a ship one day. Some take the initiatives to fulfill it, although finance and sound infrastructure is always difficult to accomplish.

When I started I Marine Infratech, I had three thoughts in my mind. The first was to establish my own business venture, ship owning and offer our services to marine industry. We shall pursue to expand into ship-owning sector and crew management services. We represent Neptune Orient Lines Ltd (NOL), Singapore from India for their crew management. We also represent some offshore companies for crew management

Today, we have 2 tugs on the Indian coast. And I must say, the progress is driven by the strong desire to own a ship. After three years of establishing own business, I am still on a tedious journey, chasing my dream to achieve it.

Jobships: How long you had been in the corporate sector? Where would you like to see yourself in next three years?

Capt. Vij: For the last 9 years I am in corporate sector. Before that I was on sea assignments for 18 years. As a professional, I served in various work profiles like General Manager, Marine Superintendent, and Director of shipping companies for 9 years.

Well, after three years I would like to see myself as the owner of many ships (laughing). And in shipping activities, I would like to run “Full Marathon” (Capt.Vij undertook the half Marathon in Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon held on 20th Jan, ’08, which was incidentally his fourth consecutive marathon).

Honestly saying I would like to achieve the zenith of my business career path; which would perhaps be a well established ship-owner

Jobships: As a ship-owning and manning company, how do you find the mix-up of these two? Is it complementing each other and how difficult it can be?

Capt. Vij: Yes, it is complementing. See, to run effectively a ship-owning company, it’s better to have own crew management to look after your own ships. Having own crew management is much reliable than outsourcing for a ship-owning company.

Manning is an important division of Ship Owning. If one does not have the well established infrastructure for manning, it is better to appoint a third party.

Regarding difficulties, I must say difficulties are a part of any corporate sector. But it does not mean that one should withdraw from the field. We face difficulties every day and solutions are to be sought. That’s what is business and keeps us busy.

Jobships: World trading is moving faster. What is the uniqueness of your business venture in this competitive world?

Capt. Vij: A shipping company run by Mariners is our uniqueness. Being a mariner, it was not easy for me to own a ship. Like other businessman, I didn’t have the ‘muscle power’ or ‘cash flow’ as per demand. So, it was quite a tough decision to establish my own shipping company investing savings. Financial risk is required to fulfill your desires.

Jobships: Being a major seafarer supplying country, with abundant human resources, we are facing shortage of seafarers. What could possibly be a solution to it?

Capt. Vij: For the last 10 to 15 years we were aware of this shortage. Many seminars were also being addressed to discuss the shortage issue. The reason behind it is that our system is not sufficient to deal with demands of Indian seafarers.

Being a competent force, the world is looking to India. But our infrastructure is not sufficient to bring out the talented seafarers ahead.

We can’t blame a single organization but have to blame the whole shipping fraternity. Private and government institutions need to select better people so that they can soon pass out but commercially it is not so viable to invest more on top of the line facilities and faculty as the fees decided for Pre Sea training may not break even. Positive environment is required so that candidates do not appear in examinations with the fear of failing but with optimism to pass in first attempts.

To run a system properly and effectively, everything should be perfect. So to solve the seafarer crisis, everything has to work well like correct pick up of students by institutions, proper training and enrolling good faculties and Government bodies giving positive environment to help candidates pass the orals.

Actually we are not trying to find out the root problem. Institutions should select the right people who have desire to be a seafarer and provide them good exam oriented training. Intention of the training institutions should be to prepare the seafarers for every possible challenge they may face, to train them with all required skills and knowledge that they should possess.

I am not saying that our training system is not good, but it requires some sort of educational as well as technological refreshment, I guess.

Wage structure also becomes a cause of this shortage. Salaries of government officers like DG Shipping and MMD are just peanuts. People do not want to join government services as private services give them far better facilities than what government provides. So shortage occurs in MMD and there is pressure on surveyors with too much work load.

Jobships: Do you think involving rural people could be solution for it?

Capt. Vij: Can’t say like that. See, good people can come from both the rural and urban areas. It totally depends on the aptitude and interest of the person. Infact, lot of people from metropolitan cities also take up sea jobs

But it is also right that rural people have less choice and find it motivating. It’s a golden opportunity for rural people to take good money home, as wage scales of seafarers are much better. So, involving rural people in seafaring could work out better.

Jobships: Do you think that training standards in India are up to the mark? Is there any need of improvement?

Capt. Vij: I think it’s good at present. Improvement is an ongoing process, whether you like or not but improvement keeps coming. Training institutions are ISO compliant. So, they keep taking feedbacks and where they find space for better improvement, they implement.

Jobships: Now peeping into your personal life, I would like to ask you as to how you got into the seafaring profession?

Capt. Vij: See, I can’t imagine myself as an engineer or a doctor or any other professional except a seafarer. From beginning I have looked at this profession with high esteem in all respects. This profession has money, respect and job satisfaction.

Jobships: What was your quick vision at the time of joining the Merchant Navy, during the training session and after the training session?

Capt. Vij: That it provides a good career and something which I will like. I was not wrong really.

Jobships: Are you happy with today’s position?

Capt. Vij: Yes, I am satisfied.

Jobships: Your career is definitely inspiring for the budding seafarers of our country. Would you like to convey any message for these young seafarers?

Capt. Vij: First of all I would like to express my hearty wishes and encouragement for those budding and up-coming seafarers. I think, generally they will not regret taking up seafaring as their profession.

I just want to say them, “Just work hard, relax hard and enjoy this profession”.

Jobships: Seafarers are becoming businessmen now-a-days. What is your advice to them?

Capt. Vij: I don’t think seafarers are becoming businessmen. They generally aspire to be a professional i.e. working as a manager later in life, after 10-15 years of sea service

Very few seafarers only set up their own business in the shipping industry. But, I must say, as seafarers know about the ship-industry, they will do better than others if they started their ship business, although every thing may not be rosy at first. Banks and soft loan incentive schemes from Ministry of Shipping can help Seafarers to start their own business

Jobships: Thank you for giving us your precious time. Jobships.com wishes you a more successful and prosperous business future.