The Government of Assam has invited The Maritime Group (International) to provide water taxis on the Brahmaputra, at Guwahati in India.
We signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the Advantage Assam Global Investor Summit 2018 on February 3 and 4 at Guwahati.
ADVANTAGE TMG: From left: Capt Malcolm Parrott is pictured with executives of the Patsloke Group Mr Karan Chhabra, Mr Milind Koltey and Mr K Srinivas Patnaik (MD & CEO of TMG Asia and Patsloke Marine) at the Assam Advantage Summit
Government dignitaries and global business delegates attended the summit which was inaugurated by the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi.
One of the key focus sectors of the Global Investor Summit (GIS) was water taxi operations.
Captain Malcolm W Parrott, Executive Vice President of the Maritime Group (International), who also attended and addressed the summit, signed the MOU on behalf of the group with the Government of Assam to operate water taxis on the river Brahmaputra.
UNDERSTANDING: Capt Malcolm Parrott is pictured left with the Director of Inland Water Transport Mr Bharat Bhushan Dev Chaudhary (right) signing the MOU
Malcolm said: “This is a very exciting development and will open up TMG to the whole of the sub-continent of India.”
Patsloke Marine, a part of TMG (Asia), will deliver PATSLOKE I, an eight-seater passenger boat, on February 6. It will travel between the south and north Banks of the Brahmaputra at Guwahati.
Mr K Srinivas Patnaik, Managing Director of The Maritime Group (Asia) Pte Ltd and founder and Chief Executive of the Patsloke Groupe, also entered into an MOU with the Government of Assam to develop a training facility in conjunction with the Ministry of Skill and Development to train local youth in various sectors of the maritime industry.
Mr K Srinivas Patnaik said: “It is a landmark achievement for the Group. I am very enthusiastic and keen to explore and scale up the operations to other parts of India.”
TMG (Asia) is based at Shenton House in Shentonway, Singapore. TMG is ISO 9001 Quality Management System accredited.
SHAKE: Mr K Srinivas Patnaik (MD and CEO of TMG Asia) is pictured with Shri Anand Prakash Tiwari (Director of Assam Skill Development Mission) signing the MOU
Contact TMG (Asia) at The Maritime Groupe (Asia) Pte Ltd., 3 Shentonway, #07-04 Shenton House, Singapore 068805 for more details or on +65 62387036 and mobiles +65 97210775 and +65 96577877 or email Patnaik@the-maritime-group.com.
Autonomous shipping is more than a decade away, according to most respondents of a new smart shipping survey.
Some 41% of those questioned by Seatrade Maritime News thought that the ‘unmanned vessel’ was some years away although a sizeable minority – 35% – thought it would arrive in between five and 10 years’ time.
Seatrade Maritime News has published a White Paper about the issue, which echoes our own article of November 2016 published in Shipping and Marine.
Our Managing Director Captain Malcolm W Parrott explored the potential for vessels of the future – from autonomous shipping with ‘transparent hulls’ and mastless decks to drone operator radar and holographic command centres.
He concluded: “Time – and tide – wait for no man or woman.
“Pushing the boundaries with visionary and innovative thinking and cutting edge technology has to be the way forward whatever the sector.
“It is tempting to think the future has arrived but many of our visions for 2166 or even 2066 are really based on the most advanced technology of today – or what we can conceive as the technology of tomorrow – rather than the actual demands of the future.
“Are these realistic visions? Only time will tell; vessels of 2066 or 2166 may well look as alien to us as ships of today would look to mariners of a hundred years ago.”
With the rise of AI, machine learning, disruptive technology and the Internet of Things, technology is inevitably going to impact on the maritime sector.
At TMG we remain informed about the latest developments while continuing to draw on our many years of professional experience to provide the highest-quality services.
Read Malcolm’s article here and visit Seatrade Maritime News for more details about the White paper here.
China will remain the driving force behind growth in shipping markets in 2018, according to BIMCO.
An article in Seatrade Maritime reports that BIMCO expects to see continued improvement in dry bulk and containers markets with potential for an uplift in the tanker sector.
BIMCO analyst Peter Sand is reported as attributing the growth to China – particularly its ‘enormous manufacturing sector’ which is driving exports of containerized goods.
The story also features some interesting statistics about 2017 and previews 2018 with the hope of the sector ‘returning to profitability for the first time since 2011’ although much is in the hands of ship owners.
TMG’s expert professionals have many years of experience in maritime business, including shipping. With genuine worldwide reach – including Asia – TMG can advise and support whatever the enterprise.
Read the full article about BIMCO’s 2018 preview on Seatrade Maritime here.
Contact TMG on info@the-maritime-group.com and on +44 (800) 955 1792 or its 24-hour line +1 (260) 225 5864.
(Picture – Pixabay)