Marine Logisticians: Toilers of the sea

Ankur Bhardwaj, 21, chose marine logistics as his career not just because he wanted to connect with the rest of the world but also because he says this business will last as long as man trades. In his words, "As long as dollar or rupee transactions take place or export-import happens, this industry will stay lucrative than most of the others."

An MBA in marketing and international business, Bharadwaj has gathered information about and remains updated on all the major destinations (read ports) in the world where he ships his clients' goods. To this assistant manager-marketing and sales, Tiger Logistics India Pvt. Ltd, "this profession is all about interactions, meeting corporate people and a life-time opportunity to learn about world trade as it is related to export-import."

To Sudhir Vasudeva, director (offshore), ONGC, New Delhi, "Transportation of goods via water defines marine logistics. It is the cheapest mode of transport - and nothing else can match the volume of cargo transported by sea."

The importance

The importance of marine logistics can be evaluated in the context of other forms of transportation for the movement of goods - via rail, road, air and pipeline. "The choice of mode of transportation is a function of the costs involved and time factors," says Subrata Nandi, head, logistics and supply chain management department, JK Business School, Gurgaon.

In the international context, there is, however, a limitation in terms of the use of surface transportation, as rail and road movement across international borders is subject to the geo-political environment. Air transportation, on the other hand, is costly. "In this given context, shipping or marine logistics offers the best option of moving goods at an economical cost," says Nandi.

The scope of work

The scope of work in this field is varied. "It varies from managing ships to managing the ports, to marketing of many related services," says SL Ganapathi of Logistics Plus India Pvt Ltd. According to Vasudeva, "the scope of work includes meticulous planning, operation and management of terminals, safe transportation of cargo from one point to another (completing port and customs formalities), loading/ unloading of cargo etc."

With the number of Indian companies engaged in international business increasing, the need to export as also to import goods is on the rise. Add to this the entry of multinational companies, which has increased the demand for maritime services because some of these companies either import inputs for the production process or trade, or export goods sourced from India. "The services of marine logistics are employed by firms which deal in diverse products like steal, auto, petroleum, engineering goods, food grains, chemicals, etc," says Nandi.

And a marine logistician plays a crucial role in ensuring that the goods originating in one country reach another country within the committed time period. "Therefore we must acknowledge their contribution in the smooth conduct of international trade," says Nandi.