The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I) organized its annual event with the help of senior representatives from Government, industry leaders, policy makers, researchers, etc. for the year 2015-16 titled “Seminar on Transloading – The Future of Bulk Cargo Handling in India” on Friday, 18th September 2015 at 10.00 a.m. at the Chamber premises. The seminar was organized to deliberate on the importance of Transloading operations in India and its impact on the economic development of our country.

Mr. S B Mazumder, Chairperson, Shipping Committee, BCC&I welcomed the inaugural speakers on the dais and Mr. Ambarish Dasgupta, President, BCC&I delivered the Welcome Speech at the Inaugural Session. The other speakers on the dais were Dr Vishwapati Trivedi, IAS, Chairman, National Shipping Board, Ministry of Shipping, Government of India who was our Chief Guest for the seminar and Shri R P S Kahlon, IAS, Chairman, Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT), Ministry of Shipping, Government of India who was our Guest of Honour for the seminar.

The other key speakers of the seminar were Dr. Arup Roy Choudhury, Chairman & Managing Director, National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC), New Delhi; Shri P. Ravindran, Chief Mechanical Engineer V.O.Chidambaranar Port Trust,Tuticorin; Mr. Milan Nanda, Sr. Maintenance Manager, PHBPL, Paradip; Mr Farhat Imam, Chief Operating Officer, Resolve Marine Group, USA; Shri. Himanshu Ranjan, Chief Manager (Consumer Sales),Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Marketing Division, Kolkata; Shri Amitabh Verma, IAS, Chairman, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI); Capt S N Chaubey, General Manager – Marine, Haldia Dock Complex, Kolkata Port Trust, Haldia; Mr Nithin Menon, Head – Indian sub-continent & Middle East, Swire Bulk Logistics | The China Navigation Co. Pte. Ltd, Mumbai; Mr. Arunabh Tripathi, M/s Coeclerici Logistics, Mumbai and Shri Brojen Thamar, Chief Commissioner of Customs, Kolkata. Mr. Dibyendu Bose, Group Director (Investments and New Ventures), Tata Steel Limited and Mr. S C Saxena, Vice Chairman, Swaymbhu Natural Resources (P) Ltd. (SNRL Ltd., SREI Group) were the moderators of Technical Session I and II.

Overall, the seminar witnessed a huge delegate participation which comprised of port users, trade representatives, barge operators/owners/manufacturers, industry representatives, experts, policy makers, researchers, academicians and others related thereto. The total number of delegates for the seminar was above 150.

The one full day seminar helped us to work out an action plan based on which further initiatives could be taken for bringing developments in Transloading operations in India which would provide immense benefit to the Shipping industry, trade and especially to those Industries which are the ultimate beneficiaries from Transloading operations.