Global economic meltdown which has impacted shipping business too has now exhorted Mumbai-based shipping company, Doehle Danautic India (DDI) Pvt Limited to open training institute in Chandigarh to train the youth for diverse careers in merchant navy.
In a cost cutting exercise, the firm is reducing its foreign national staff to some extent and will hire more Indians.
The company intends to start the institute with an intake of 100 students initially from the northern region, which contributes 30% to merchant navy. In a bid to promote the concept in this part of the region, the company has tied up with the Merchant Navy Officers Association of Chandigarh, which will help in creating the required database besides helping in securing the necessary approvals.
Talking to FE, Daniel Chopra who established Doehle Danautic in 2001 with a capital outlay of Rs 4 lakh said advertisement campaign would be launched on print, electronic media and air to create awareness about the institute. “The idea is to train the youth and to provide job security as they can be absorbed within our industry, Chopra said.
The entry-level salary in the shipping industry will be around Rs 38,000 for a 17-year-old. However, currently we have tie-up with the two institutes in Maharashtra and Delhi, which fulfills the manpower requirement”, Chopra said.
More than 90% of the staff of the company comes from foreign shores. As part of corporate social responsibility initiative, DDI is also planning to open a NGO for the under-privileged children. The company is already running such NGO in Dehradun and Mumbai. After its merger with Peter Doehle of Hamburg, Germany in 2006, DDI got a major boost in terms of experience and expertise. The company recorded a turnover of Rs 746 crore in the financial year 2007-08. Doehle Danautic India Pvt Ltd offers crew management, ship management services to varied clients worldwide for various types of vessels including containers, bulk carriers, oil tankers, gas carriers, chemical tankers, multi-purpose vessels, off shore support vessels and DP vessels.