Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd.

House flag of Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd.

Scindia house - Ballard pier Mumbai closeup

Scindia house - Ballard pier Mumbai full view

The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. was one of the first large Indian-owned shipping companies, established in 1919 by industrialist Walchand Hirachand and Kilachand Devchand. ^[1] Its first vessel, the SS Loyalty, sailed from Bombay to London on 5 April 1919, marking the first time an Indian company operated a steamship service between India and the United Kingdom. ^[2] The company later expanded to coastal and international routes and played an important role in developing India’s maritime industry. In the early 1940s, Scindia established the Scindia Shipyard at Visakhapatnam, which became a significant milestone in modern Indian shipbuilding and was later nationalized as Hindustan Shipyard Limited. ^{[3] [4]}

History

Foundation and early years

On 19 December 1914, the RMS Empress of India was sold by Canadian Pacific Railway to the Maharaja of Gwalior. It was refitted as a hospital ship during World War I for Indian troops. On 19 January 1915, it was renamed Loyalty. ^{[5] [6]}

After World War I, prominent Indian businessmen including Walchand Hirachand, Narottam Morarjee, Kilachand Devchand, and Lallubhai Samaldas formed a syndicate to acquire the vessel Loyalty from Scindia of Gwalior . The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. was registered on 27 March 1919 with an authorised capital of Rs. 4.5 crore. ^{[7] [8]}

On 5 April 1919, SS Loyalty sailed from Bombay (now Mumbai) to the United Kingdom — the first voyage under an Indian-owned steamship to a foreign port under an Indian flag . This event is commemorated annually as India’s National Maritime Day, first observed in 1964. ^{[7] [8]}

The company began with passenger service but soon shifted focus to cargo shipping amid intense competition with British shipping lines, which held significant advantage in route control and freight rates. The early years involved overcoming legal, financial, and logistical challenges, but laid the foundation for India’s indigenous merchant fleet.^{[ citation needed ]}

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 in 1948.^{[ citation needed ]}

Post war

The registered office is at Scindia Colony, Building III, Sir M.V. Road, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400069.^{[ citation needed ]}

Legacy

The National Maritime Day is celebrated in India on 5 April, the anniversary of the Loyalty's journey to the United Kingdom.^{[ citation needed ]}

Locality

• Scindia, Visakhapatnam

References

1. The Times of India. "How Indians fought back on high seas." 4 November 2015.
2. The Times of India. "How Indians fought back on high seas." 4 November 2015.
3. The Hindu. "Sailing through the 75-year history of shipbuilding in India." 17 March 2023.
4. Walchandnagar Industries Ltd. "Our Founder: Walchand Hirachand."
5. “Empress of India Sold; Scindia of Gwalior Buys Liner to Serve as Hospital Ship,” New York Times, 20 December 1914.
6. National Maritime Day: A quick look at the history behind it - The Statesman
7. “How Indians fought back on high seas,” The Times of India
8. “National Maritime Day, 2021: Celebrating India’s Maritime Journey,” Maritime History Society India

Further reading

• The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Limited, Bombay, India 1919–1958. by Scindia Steam Navigation Company.

External links

• List of Ships owned by Scindia