An Expo Advisory Board

From time to time I attend this particular shipping exhibition board meetings at an impressive boardroom located on a high-rise overlooking the Arabian Sea. I am one of the regular members. More regular than most. Yet my contribution to the proceedings is merely as a spectator.

The chairman of this group is the head honcho of a shipping company. He is a lovable fellow and takes his job seriously. As a chairman-material he looks good to me. Of course I have not had the privilege of watching other chairmen from close quarters.

Sometimes I wonder why they call me at all. I did participate 3 years back in one of their shipping exhibitions with an independent stall. I guess where stall-owners are concerned I am one of the easily accessible types. Thereafter they put me as part of the committee for the last two exhibitions.

The owner of the exhibition is a business tycoon. I find him as an effusive fellow. Though short in stature he walks tall in the society. Ever smiling and ever optimistic. Nothing, I repeat nothing fazes him. Recession, slowdowns, competition, elusive customers and such, nothing affects his demeanor. In every bleak situation he sees a silver lining or an opportunity.

This tycoon openly praises the meeting attendees. He reserves his choicest praise for the chairman though. So much so that the chairman has to tell him to lay off.

“The worst thing anyone can do is to praise someone in front of him. I feel very embarassed”

Nevertheless, he laps up all the praise. Perhaps the small shipping community works in a clannish manner. Where applause and pat-on-the-backs create a pleasant atmosphere.

Some of the members are organizers. One of them is a South Indian fellow. I call him the smiling work-horse. I think his motto is:

“I will work till I fall down from exhaustion.”

The fellow has a sharp brain. In the meeting he rattles off all the details in a typical South Indian manner. Taking suggestions from everyone nodding and smiling, but is the final word on deciding upon the course of action. He gets done the maximum in the meeting. The other members who are delegated with other responsibilities are either too efficient or under-worked.

At every meeting there are some good snacks or good food. I like to eat the cashew-nuts and the pastries and all the other goodies. At the end of the meeting my plate is the cleanest.

Then there is this charming lady. The shipping company which belongs to our chairman is her big customer. I don’t know if such proximity to top bosses help in the business. Come to think of it, they are my customer too. Albeit a small one. But I don’t find any advantage in knowing the top bosses. Firstly they never talk about business. Secondly the actual dealings are controlled by the second rung leaders. In fact I find being bummy-chummy with the bosses is an impedance. The second rung bosses are not comfortable with you. Maybe I haven’t yet learnt how to be business savvy. The charming lady I’m sure is making a major part of her millions from this company.

Fine. So what do I gain from attending these meetings. Some of the industry captains now know me by face. Then again I don’t see too many shipowners or their reps in the board meetings. Once in a while the bureaucrats come. DG,JNPT chairman. Very rarely does the Nautical Advisor come.

At one of the lunch get-togethers I found myself talking to an old gentleman. He retired about 17 – 18 years back from shipping. But he continues to remain associated with the shipping industry one way or the other. He must be around 80.

I commented perhaps he is the oldest man in the shipping industry. Promptly he quipped

“Not me. I’m the third oldest. My cousin Ketan is the oldest. I joined in 1950. My cousin joined Great Eastern Shipping in 1948.”

The old gentleman narrated how after the second World War his cousin was sent to the US to purchase one of the liberty class ships which had become redundant after the war. The ship was bought at scrap price. Armed with that vessel and adding some more in the next few years the Great Eastern Shipping company started the Indian coastal trading.

One day I have to sit down with him and listen to all the stories he probably has in his repertoire. After all he has being associated with the Indian maritime industry for the last 60 years post independence.