Scindia house - Ballard pier Mumbai closeup

The Scindia Steam Navigation Company, founded in 1919, is the second oldest

shipping company A shipping line or shipping company is a company whose line of business is ownership and operation of ships. Shipping companies provide a method of distinguishing ships by different kinds of cargo: # Bulk cargo is a type of special cargo that is ...

of India. The first being the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company of VOC Pillai in today's Tamilnadu that was founded in 1906.

History

Foundation and early years

On 19 December 1914, the RMS ''Empress of India'' was reported sold to

Scindia The Scindia dynasty (anglicized from Shinde) is a Hindu Maratha dynasty of maratha origin that ruled the erstwhile State of Gwalior. It had the Patil-ship of Kumberkerrab in Wai. It was founded by Ranoji Scindia, who started as a personal serva ...

Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...

(also known as the

Maharajah Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, a ...

). "''Empress of India'' Sold; Scindia of Gwalior Buys Liner to Serve as Hospital Ship,"
''New York Times.'' 20 December 1914. The former ''Empress'' was re-fitted as a

hospital ship A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. I ...

for Indian troops. On 19 January 1915, the ship was renamed ''Loyalty''. In March 1919, she was sold to the newly formed Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd; on 5 April 1919, navigation history was created when she journeyed to the United Kingdom, a crucial step for India's shipping history when sea routes were controlled by the British.

Expansion and competition

In 1932, the company purchased the Bengal Burma S.N. Co.; the company also purchased the Indian Co-operative Navigation & Trading Co., the Ratnagar S.N. Co., and in 1952 the Bombay S.N. Co. The company purchased shipyards in India in 1940, named Scindia Shipyard; its first ship, the 8000-ton ''Jalusha'', was launched soon after independence by

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

in 1948.

Post war

The registered office is at Scindia Colony, Building III, Sir M.V. Road, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400069.

Flag

The house flag of Scindia is blue, with a white disc bearing a red swastika, an ancient Indian symbol unrelated to the its use by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

Legacy

The

National Maritime Day Maritime Days are holidays typically established to recognize accomplishments in the maritime field. Maritime Days include: * China National Maritime Day * European Maritime Day * Indian Maritime Day (5 April) * Mexican National Maritime Day * Pa ...

is celebrated in India on 5 April, the anniversary of the ''Loyaltys journey to the United Kingdom.

Locality

Scindia, Visakhapatnam Scindia is an important neighborhood situated on the coastal part of Visakhapatnam City, India. The area, which falls under the local administrative limits of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, it is one of the main industrial area in ...

References

External links

List of Ships owned by Scindia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. Shipping companies of India Companies based in Mumbai Transport companies established in 1919 Maritime history of India Walchand Group Indian companies established in 1919