India’s largest owner and operator of Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs) is providing scholarships to female cadets studying at the Indian Maritime University (IMU) that covers full academic fees so that they can focus more on their studies and less on financial worries.
BW LPG India Pte Ltd, the largest owner and operator of Indian-flagged Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs), is stepping up efforts to attract more women to a career at sea by providing holistic support structure for aspiring young female cadets: bond-free scholarships covering full tuition fees, offer to complete onboard apprenticeship and guaranteed placement on ships managed by its technical and crewing partner Synergy Group.
India is one of the world’s top suppliers of seafarers to the global shipping industry, accounting for some 10 per cent of the workforce.
“This confers us the opportunity and responsibility as a leader to push for changes we want to see, one of which is gender diversity in shipping,” says Captain Gaurav Bhatia, Director of BW LPG India Pte Ltd, majority owned by BW LPG Ltd – the world’s top owner and operator of LPG vessels.
Women represent a paltry 1.2 per cent of the 17 lakh seafarers globally, according to a report by BIMCO, an international shipping association, and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).
Companies in India have started to play an increasingly active role to lead the way and improve female representation at sea. Many companies have reported commitments such as recruiting more female seafarers or providing gender sensitization courses.
“BW LPG India is taking things a step further, where it is moving beyond recruitment to encouraging more women to pursue a maritime education,” Captain Bhatia said. Cadets can then look forward to a supportive work environment where diversity, inclusion and belonging are emphasized on shore and sea.
“The scholarships cover all academic fees so that cadets can focus more on their studies and less on financial worries,” Captain Bhatia stated.
To be eligible, female cadets should come from economically weaker sections (EWS) and have been accepted for admission into the IMU. Applications open each year sometime in June and are received electronically or through mailed forms to the company’s Mumbai office.
The most common forms of support available for female cadets are sponsorships from shipping companies – these sponsorships do not come with financial support for the duration of the course, but crucially provide the assurance of employment upon graduation.
However, with over 3,000 cadets facing employment challenges every year, this is a precious form of support and encouragement. Some companies also provide scholarships or academic awards to the top scorers of some universities, but these scholarships are fiercely competitive, and few.
An entire support package
BW LPG India’s CSR Policy prioritises and promotes education, especially among women, gender equality and women empowerment.
It is taking concrete steps to help smoothen the path and allay worries for aspiring women to pursue a career in shipping. Since 2021, BW LPG India, has provided scholarships to female cadets studying at the Indian Maritime University (IMU) who have enrolled in the four-year B.Tech (Marine Engineering) or the three-year B.Sc (Nautical Science) degrees. It also plans to provide scholarships for the one-year Diploma in Nautical Science.
BW LPG has committed over Rs 70 lakhs to-date and supported 50 cadets from the Chennai, Kochi, Mumbai, and Kolkata campuses of IMU. These cadets come from diverse backgrounds and are at various stages of their studies.
“BW LPG India is striving to ensure that financial challenges should not clip the sails of aspiring young female seafarers,” said Captain Bhatia. “As a former seafarer, I know first-hand the challenges faced by young cadets, especially females. BW LPG India has plans to ramp up the number of scholarships we offer in the next few years. There remains much to do, and I call upon our peers to join forces with us because together we can achieve so much more”.
BW LPG India Pte Ltd started in 2017 and over the last six years has quickly expanded to become India’s largest owner and operator of India-flagged and India-managed Very Large Gas Carriers.
BW LPG India carries about 20 percent of LPG imports into India and holds about 30 per cent share of the time-charter market in India. It has a pool of some 400 Indian seafarers, and female seafarers make up less than one percent of its workforce. Synergy Group handles the commercial, technical, and crewing requirements for BW LPG India.
“It is encouraging to see a growing acceptance of female seafarers in shipping. We can and must do more. At Synergy Marine Group, it is our commitment to employ 1,000 female seafarers by 2030. We currently have a pool of over 21,000 seafarers and while 1,000 seems like a drop in the ocean in comparison, that drop will create a ripple and make a lasting impact in our industry,” said Vishnu Swaminathan, Advisor, Social Responsibility, Synergy Marine Group.
“Such scholarships offering bond-free financial support, guaranteed placement post completion of graduation and a supportive work environment are the first of its kind and are treasured by our students. With such support from the industry, maritime institutes can continue to attract the best talents to join the shipping industry,” added Commodore (Dr) Vivek Chawla (Retired), Director of IMU – Mumbai Port Campus (LBS CAMSAR and MERI).
