I am fascinated by the shipping industry. 90% of world logistics happens through maritime. 100s of seafarers are held hostage at any given time and hardly any of us care! The TED talk I have watched the most times is Inside the secret shipping industry by Rose George. In a connected world, only 10% of freight ships have internet available for its crew. I subscribed to the Shipping Podcast by Lena Gothberg a couple of years back & happened to listen the interview of Reshma Nilofer last week. She is a maritime pilot (India’s first woman) at Kolkata Port (Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust) & recipient of the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2018 from the Indian president.

1 insight:

1. Seafarers and maritime industry deserve recognition as much as healthcare workers in keeping the world’s supply chain running during the pandemic

2 experiences:

1. Accident while getting off a ship in bad weather in Aug 2020
2. Serendipitous entry into the shipping industry

3 ideas:

1. An aspiration for product labels to indicate the role of maritime industry in delivering the product to our hands.
2. The pilot is employed by the port, not the shipping company. He/she stays offshore at the port and uses a pilot boat to reach the ship. The pilot understands the waterways around the port and maneuvers the ship through the confined waters.
3. The highest grade of qualification for a seafarer is Master Mariner. A master mariner’s license is considered unlimited because there is no tonnage or geographic limitations for the holder to operate

Link: https://shippingpodcast.com/154-reshma-nilofer-maritime-pilot-kolkata-port-trust-india/