Flexibility and performance key drivers to growth over three decades
MUMBAI : GAC India, part of the global shipping, logistics and marine services provider GAC Group, has celebrated 30 years of operation in the country with an event on Dec 5, 2015 held at the Trident, Bandra Kurla, Mumbai.
GAC Shipping (India) Pvt. Ltd. was the first GAC office to open in the Indian Subcontinent. Operations began in 1985 with the first agency appointment for a vessel calling at Mangalore. From just two staff working from an office in Cochin back then, GAC India has now grown into a company with close to 400 employees nationwide.
Fredrik Nyström, Group Vice President, Asia Pacific, GAC Group commented on the milestone: “With approximately 95% of the country’s trade by volume being handled through sea, there is no doubt shipping plays a vital role in India’s economy. Since setting up our office in the Country 30 years ago, the Indian maritime sector has transformed from one that catered primarily to domestic shipping requirements to the 16th largest maritime Country in the world today.”
Fredrik Nyström added “GAC India has grown with it; in addition to our head office in Cochin, we are now present in 26 locations throughout the Country.
We are constantly investing and developing our facilities and resources to cater to our growing and diverse customer base.”
Today, GAC India is one of the country’s leading shipping and logistics services providers, handling more than 2500 shipping and 10,000 logistics jobs in 2014.
Mr. Paul Haegeman, Managing Director of GAC India, said: “We provide services at all ports and anchorages in India, and our services span diverse sectors including Oil & Gas. One of the sectors witnessing great growth lately is project cargo, as ongoing construction and infrastructure developments in India call for specialised shipments using out-of-gauge gear.
“We have to constantly evolve to keep up with our customers’ changing demands. Being part of a global network gives us a competitive advantage and enables us to offer much more to our clients. GAC India is one of the few agents in the Country to have our own information gathering service that delivers quality intelligence to our clients on a regular basis.”
GAC India’s 30th Anniversary reception was attended by customers, partners and colleagues from across the GAC Group, including Group Co-Chairman, Capt. Lars Säfverström, Andrew Leach, Group Vice-President, Legal and Compliance, and Group Vice-President, Asia Pacific, Fredrik Nyström. Mr. Haegeman also introduced the “Mamta Trust” school for slum children of Mumbai and Pune, as a charity that is actively supported by the company since a number of years.
An evening of elegance and fun
GAC India’s 30th Anniversary celebration and client reception at the Trident, Bandra Kurla: The Ballroom of the Trident Hotel was a sight to behold with the valued clients of GAC India enjoying an evening of networking at its best.
The sequence of events saw a trip down 30 years of operations, and the promise to continue the world-class service delivered to GAC’s customers all these years. A mix of the Traditional, Bollywood, Arabic, Spanish and Latin American performances, along with a number of fun games were organised, cherished by all. The event was well attended with around 250 guests, and the evening ended on a good note with happy clients and stronger bonds.
EARLY MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
- 1983 – GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd. registered its first office in Kerala under the able leadership of Late Mr. K.O.Mathews and his son, Dr.Roy Mathews (who continues to head the company as its Chairman) and the head office is set up in Cochin.
- 1985 – the first agency appointment for a vessel coming to Mangalore, and the second for a vessel calling Calcutta.
- 1986 – GAC Cochin received their first own agency vessel, GENT discharging Ammonia.
- 1988 – GAC India opened its first branch office – in Chennai, followed by another in Mumbai in 1989.
- Branch offices were opened in different parts of the country as per the growing customer base and requirements. Today, GAC India covers all ports with its own offices, without using partner agents (except at Alang).
- 1996 – Indian Government opened up the sector to joint-ventures, with the GAC Group holding 51 percent shareholding in GAC Shipping (India) Pvt. Ltd. and remaining with the Mathews family.
GAC India obtained the Customs Licence in Cochin early on, to move into Clearing and Forwarding, apart from tramp shipping activities, diversifying into complete transportation and end-to-end logistics solutions.
‘Oil & Gas Support Services’ and ‘International Moving’ departments were started when new business opportunities were sensed. These service lines have grown over the years to become part of the core business as GAC O&G and GAC Logistics.
GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd continues to grow strong in all lines of service, with integrated solutions that focus on the best growth strategy for their customers.
