She sets sail

While the number of women in the Indian maritime sector is growing, experts call for a safe and supportive ecosystem

- NIRMAL JOVIAL

IN 1923, WHILE India was under the grip of a colonial power built on maritime dominance, 14-year-old Sumati Morarjee was appointed to the managing agency of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company by her father-in-law Narottam Mukherjee, the company’s co-founder. Mukherjee gave her the responsibility upon recognising her sharp intellect and eagerness to learn. And, Sumati rose to the challenge.

She emerged as a formidable leader, taking charge of the company by 1946. A decade later, she became president of the Indian National Steamship Owners’ Association—the first woman to lead a major shipowners’ organisation.

Despite this early breaking of the glass ceiling, maritime has largely remained a male-dominated field in India. According to the 2021 Women in Maritime survey, less than 2 per cent of the seafarers in India are female. But, there is a silver lining with regard to leadership. The same survey revealed that women hold around 32 per cent of the board positions in Indian maritime firms— higher than in many maritime giants in the world.