Chairman’s Message

It is invariably uplifting being able to highlight good news. To have equally superb tidings, from both the Middle East and the Indian Sub-continent, provides me with enormous pleasure. In the Middle East, CSS has commenced its services from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia whilst from India the excellent news is that we have started working from Ludhiana in Punjab. It is hard work and determination which has paved the way for these spectacular beginnings, from two new locations. I join with others in giving full credit to our colleagues and express my personal thanks to them for sharing such great news. Personally, it gives me a real sense of pride to acknowledge the achievements of our company although, at the same time, a feeling of responsibility arises at each and every new turn CSS takes.
I am reminded of a memorable quote from Arthur Ashe Jnr., the three times Grand Slam tennis title winner, “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is more important than the outcome.” I wholeheartedly believe that from day one onwards, at CSS, we have engendered the habit of delivering the best of what we have from within us, enjoying the doing, without restricting or anticipating our expectations. The ‘doing’ really has been more important than the ‘outcome’. This may well be the reason for us continually remaining successful in our endeavours.
Our on-going vision for growth recognises that forward planning, coupled with strategizing our policies, enables us to seize the right opportunity at the right time. We should remain always thankful to all our stakeholders for the unconditional support they bestow on us. It is their trust that spurs us on to deliver what is best for everyone who use the services provided by CSS.

Ludhiana Becomes The 10th Office of CSS India

On its glorious one decade completion of services from India, Console Shipping Services India Pvt. Ltd rolled out red carpet from their 10th office to their clients. The doors of their tenth office were opened in Ludhiana, a widely known commercial center in Punjab, north of Delhi. Ludhiana, better known as the “Manchester of India” is an industrial hub in Northern India and one of the biggest dry ports. CSS Ludhiana commenced its services from the heart of Logistics Hub of Ludhiana in full-fledge.

Ludhiana has more small-scale industrial units, which produce industrial goods, machine parts, auto parts, household appliances, hosiery, apparel, and garments. Ludhiana is Asia’s largest hub for bicycle manufacturing and produces more than 50% of India’s bicycle consumption of more than 10 million each year. Ludhiana produces 60% of India’s tractor parts and a large portion of auto and two-wheeler parts. Many parts used in German cars like BMW and Mercedes, are exclusively produced in Ludhiana to satisfy the world requirement. It is one of the largest manufacturers of domestic sewing machines. Hand tools and industrial equipment are other specialties. The apparel industry of Ludhiana is famous all over India for its woollen sweaters and cotton T-shirts; most of the top Indian woollen apparel brands are based in Ludhiana. Ludhiana also has a growing IT sector with multiple software services and product companies having development centres in the city.

“It is an extremely proud moment personally for me as we start our services from our tenth office in India. A decade back when we started our journey in India, we were not sure about the Growth graph of CSS, but in the back of my mind I was sure that the determination of my colleagues will never dishearten our aspirations, and those proved true today” mentioned T S Kaladharan Chairman CSS Group.

The CSS team in Ludhiana is led by Meenu Sharma who will be working in the position of Regional Manager – North India and carries with her an impressive professional background  of 16 years in international logistics and Custom clearance.  Based at Ludhiana she will be covering states like Haryana , Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and the major business hub cities like Sonipat, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Baddi and Nala Garh etc.

“We would like to thank all our well-wishers, stake holders and those who stood with us during good and bad times at this momentous occasion. Like any other office in India, CSS will be offering personalized & professional assistance to all segments of operations in the field of Shipping and Logistics, from Ludhiana as well. Our word is always our gurantee” commented Rajesh Arora, Vice President CSS North India.

CSS Mumbai Successfully Moves Granite Cutting Machines


CSS Mumbai successfully executed a factory installation project recently wherein large granite cutting machines were exported on Flat Racks and Open tops.

Despite of the torrential rains in Mumbai, the highly capable team did the entire operation handled movement of machines to port and to board the vessel giving utmost care of the cargo and its packing all through the operation. “High professionalism has to be displayed in handling critical jobs in Projects. The proven expertise and commitment could be the major factor why people rely on CSS Mumbai Projects team when it comes to complicated assignments like these” mentioned Rahat Talreja Vice President CSS Central India.

The machines were skilfully loaded onto special equipment needed for such large dimension and heavy cargo and lashed with rubber grips, nylon belts, turn buckles, wire ropes and covered with tarpaulins and loaded on board the vessel.

All operational issues like port congestion, berthing delays by vessel etc were handled professionally by the Mumbai Projects team. The close monitoring ensured the cargo was boarded in timely manner and sailed off Mumbai.

New Look and Feel

As part of expanding its digital presence and to enhance the marketing activities, CSS Group launches their revamped website recently. The website offers a totally new look and feel and will ensure a better user experience across various devices, including desktops and mobile phones.

The revamped website offers a unique navigational experience, as the various regions of the company are separately shown and the offices of that particular region are listed in that section.  All main office addresses are readily available in the homepage map which offers more accessibility to the clients. The social media pages of the group company can be accessed by the person who visits the group site. Ten different language options is another unique feature of the CSS Group site.

Customers can track their cargo from the “Track & trace” link in the website. The revamped site also offers features like the “Sailing schedule” and the “Rate request” online. One of the major attractions of the website will be the online chat option, which offers cent percentage transparency in all operations activities of the group company. “More features are being planned to be incorporated soon. The whole aim of this new website is to give easy navigation and make it more user friendly to our customers. We are already receiving positive feedbacks from the users” commented Sasikala, Manager Marketing, CSS Group.

CSS Delhi Moves to a New Office


Aiming at providing more comfortable ambience to their customers, CSS Delhi moves to a new office space. The new office was officially inaugurated with a traditional ceremony in the last week of August. The company had announced their relocation and invited their customers and well-wishers to visit them at the new set up. The new address of CSS Delhi would be as follows:

Console Shipping Services India Pvt. Ltd.
A 35 , Upper Ground Floor
FIEE Complex, Ma Anandmayee Marg
Block A, Okhla Phase II, Okhla Industrial Area
New Delhi, Delhi 110020

We have always enjoyed doing business with you and appreciate your support. We hope you will get acquainted with our new location soon.

Team CSS Delhi

GST Impact on Shipping and Logistic Business

GST, an abbreviation of Goods and Service Tax has been finally implemented in India effective 1st July 2017.  It is very early to judge after effect of GST ON Shipping & Logistic Business but in short Terms review we find some positive & negative impact of GST.

First we will see in short which seems to be Negative Impact of GST …

  1. The worst affected are local traders now a days after GST Implementation , who from last so many years doing the business on CASH and not giving Tax to Government  as desired. The Export & Import Trading business in India is very low now a days because of this problem reducing down the volume by approx 19%
  2. The small export house are also affected as the RAW material has been priced hiked due to implementation of 18 % GST. Also due to GST implementation STAR EXPORT HOUSES and small / middle scale export house are now in same platform keeping competition a mammoth task for them
  3. The Custom is still not clear regarding the impact of GST and no proper Guidelines made available to Custom and trade persons to tackle GST , which un necessary slowing the process of Custom clearance in Indian Ports.


Now, we must see the Brighter Side of GST, Al though it is not feasible to foresee the changes within 30 days of implementation of it, because nothing will change abruptly and it is a slow process which will finally become beneficial for Country…

  1. As per Road and Transport Ministry the distance travelled by trucks per day has increased by at least 30% post the rollout of goods and services tax (GST), according to a document prepared by the road transport ministry on the impact of GST on logistics sector. Trucks are covering 300-325 km a day on an average against about 225 km a day before GST, it said.
  2. The implementation of GST helped Star Export house to reduce their price in Export commodities as they do not have to pay VAT, STATE TAX and various other tax when they purchase RAW MATERIAL.
  3. One Nation and one Tax this is the prime moto of GST and it replaces several State & Central Tax implications on everybody  on Logistic Field also.
  4. As per planned if everybody get the Reverse CENVAT TAX Credit then everybody will see the Huge impact on Export & Import business.


Let’s Hope for the best , indeed it is a very brave & great step to implement GST provided everything goes at planned.

One Decade of Glorious Presence in Mumbai

The CSS India journey, which started in 2004 from the picturesque South Indian towns of  Tirupur, Tuticorin and Coimbatore, took a long stride ahead in June 2007 with the expansion of business to the finance capital of the country Mumbai and subsequently to New Delhi, which leap frogged the CSS Group business in India to newer heights.

The CSS Mumbai team, of which the core commercial team remained steadfast in all these years, proudly celebrated the completion of 10 years in business. It was a great moment for all and the experiences that have enriched all were cherished in these celebrations.

Under the stoic leadership of Rahat Talreja, Vice President, Central India CSS Group who was also the founder member of CSS India management team in 2007, the company has witnessed a turnaround of sorts with his sharp focus on business financials and investor like business approach with profitability and efficiency ratios being the highest parameters of his methodology. “This celebration is the result of hard work and determination. I am really proud about my colleagues and have full confidence in them so as to move forward onto greater achievements” mentioned Rahat.

It was a delight that the core and prominent members in the 10 year club, who have seen the company through in its journey , were all present to grace the occasion.

The CSS Mumbai team also had their annual picnic with the entire staff frolicking in the hills of Mahabaleshwar and enjoying the magical monsoons along with bonding and team building exercises which brought in an enriched spirit to an already close knit team.”

Indian Independance Day Celebrations @ CSS Mumbai


“At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.”

—Jawaharlal Nehru, Independence Day Speech (1947)

What’s Your Business Type?

Rahat Talreja
Vice President – CSS Central India


As I write this article, the news of the moment is the resignation of the Infosys CEO. A lot of analysts (which is surprisingly a big job these days, in grounded part of India we call it “Bol Vachan”) are giving their views that the per employee revenue is up, the new technology verticals under innovation& automation are shaping well etc.

But the real issue (which basically means ‘my point of view’, people add the word real to assert their own point) was that the standard of governance in the board was down and investors (including the marquee promoters) had lost trust in the working of the board.

Now I don’t want to talk much on it except the point I am making through the headline of my article, what is your business type?

Let us see what the levels on which these evaluations are done are:

a) Value based analysis
b) Financial analysis
c) Hybrid model of the a + b

Value Based analysis

Hello Old school: I think you already know this word and its meaning “Values”

Hello New school: Don’t know this word? No problem carry on..

In this, the prime importance is laid on the values on which the business is run and the clear, defined & written policies which form the benchmark for any evaluation.

Financial Analysis

This is the most important criteria in our times. But most have different understanding of financials and therefore the analysis may not be absolute, it is always relative. Let me illustrate.

We have all seen the recent emerging market rallies wherein even India and its benchmark indices are all lifetime highs. Most common reasons coming out are that it is a liquidity rally since other asset classes have lost relevance and printed money of the central banks didn’t trickle into real economies, so liquidity in the system went into equities the most besides other financial assets and instruments like bonds and debt market. The main point to note is that earnings growth has been flat to negative over the last 4 years.

In this bargain, even a lot of non performing companies have seen their valuations run up. And this is exactly what happens when businesses are liquidity driven and not profit driven.

See in our industry for example – the consolidation, forwarding and logistics industry. Even if you lose a million rupees a month, you need at least 5 years to blow up a meagre investment of example 5 crores. And the best part is you never have to pay those 5 crores. You only need to pay 5 lakhs interest on it each month.

So many in our business run it on liquidity. The moment the liquidity dies, they either raise new funds or run helter skelter looking for newer options.

This is a business where if you run it on profits, you don’t need any investment from day 1. And let me assure you that a lot of people hide behind this liquidity survival for many many years in the industry and get away with it.

Hybrid model

This is obviously the model that most are trying to follow today. At least trying.

The crux of the above segmentation is that we need to see what our real business type is. Are we emphasising focus on volume, value, profit, liquidity or nothing. You may think you are focusing on profit but your actions maybe not in line with achieving it.

Illustratively, one should always focus on rich clients. And what is the definition of rich? Not that the client has a lot of wealth, his cars, his phones, his properties etc. This is the start of wrong analysis. Rich for us is the client who has rich thinking. A thinking where he is rich to think that after he has made all that money , his long term vendors also deserve their pie under the sun. And you will see majority of them are more miserly for others once they have achieved their financial goals.

Their vendors keep visiting them in the same train, same bus, from the same house etc. but the clients keep getting richer, getting into bigger cars, bigger homes etc. These are absolutely poor clients let us first understand that. In fact most shun their own business and start focusing on what you do. So they will call for quotes from 10 different forwarders, squeeze all, delay payment and have all the fun.

Shift gears to rich clients. The ones who value you, your time, your effort, they are certainly not big themselves. They are rich for us. They are loyal, let you earn, pay you on time, give you respect when you visit them, value your relationship.

So friends, I used a few analogies so that we all realise that our analysis should be real, in line with our goals and only then our actions will help achieve those goals. This is the best way to move forward in my view and lets answer the first question in that direction today – what’s your business type?

Lighter Side of Life – Group Selfie Contest

It was a wonderful and lovely afternoon for the CSS staff at Jebel Ali, as they got an opportunity to shed down the stress with sharing some lighter moments with the Club FM RJs, thanks to the selfie competition. The staff at CSS Dubai were engaged by the members of Club FM and Spoonfed APP on account of a very interesting corporate engagement programme, they jointly launched.

Club FM had announced for an office group selfie to be posted from the workplace and CSS team were the first amongst all to respond creatively towards that demand. That selfie fetched them a wonderful entertainment time with the team Club FM and Spoonfed  APP as well as a sumptuous lunch sponsored by them. In fact that was the first lunch party organised by them related with the Selfie contest.

While 99.6 Club FM team included Pavithra Menon – RJ, Carl LaFrenais – RJ,  Justin Raj – Producer, Neena Manila – RJ and Sivaprasad ( Driver ) the Spoonfed team were represented by Najeeb Abdulla – Business Development Manager and Pulastya Vishwas

The CSS team were excited and all the more happy to be in the company of the renowned RJs of the Club FM team and enjoyed the games organized by them. After the lunch was served, prizes were distributed by Club FM to the CSS team which was immediately followed by a photo shoot. Music was also played by the Club FM team to entertain the CSS Staff. The entire programme was held at the Jebel Ali regional headquarters of the CSS Group.

We had a great time with the Club FM and Spoonfed APP team. When we took the selfie, there was no good reason for us to believe that this event will start from our office. I am happy that the pro-active team at CSS proved that they are the best bet in the corporate world of Dubai. Thanks to Club FM and Spoonfed

Aparna Renjith,
Asst. Manager, Customer Service Desk.

Money Can’T Buy Everything In Life ?

How often do you hear someone say; “If only I had the money?” No doubt, just like the Kaleidoscope team, you have even said it to yourself. Having money seems to be the answer to many, if not all, of our problems. Money plays an important role in our lives because without it we cannot buy food, clothes and other essential things. Most of us will agree that money, and the more we have of it, enables us to own many things; houses, cars, the latest gadgets as well as gaining power and fame. However, whilst such things may satisfy our desires and needs, having them will not necessarily make us happy.  A way to understand the role of money and how it affects you, for good or bad, it is consider that it is only a tool. If you do not know how to use it then it could injure or even kill you! Once you start on the money escalator, it’s said that you must never forget your roots, otherwise you will lose yourself.

Nearly sixty years ago ‘The Beatles’ wrote their worldwide hit song, ‘Can’t buy me love’. In the chorus they sing; “I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love”. This statement is more revealing, when one considers its implications. Many lottery winners relate stories about how, after winning all the money, they seemed to lose their friends. Suddenly gained new friends turned-out to be ‘money’ friends who were only attracted to their new wealth. Having money and spending money buys you services, that brings with it courtesy and attention, which may be confused as friendship. The more money you have the greater the attention and service. People around you begin to say what you want to hear, rather than what you need to hear. They do so because they do not want to upset you. They need to keep either your friendship or their job!

Some years ago, one of the Kaleidoscope team visited Los Angeles for the first time. He was sneaked into a Universal studio lot where filming was taking place. It featured a movie-star who was known to be rather unpredictably emotional. Hiding at the back of the sound stage, imagine the astonishment of everyone when the star stopped the filming and shouted out; “Hey what are you doing here?” Thinking this was a sign of trouble there was a hushed anticipatory silence. This was happily broken when the star called to his manager; “Look after that guy. Give ‘em whatever they want.” It turned out that years previously, when completely unknown, the star had been a film extra, desperate for a meal. He hadn’t forgotten who had bought him one without asking for or getting any payment. It was now unexpectedly repaid in full. Maybe this was why the unpredictable emotional actor had such acclaimed acting qualities, he hadn’t forgotten his roots. The pleasure it gave everyone involved, remembering and chatting about things were when they both had very little money, gave real pleasure than money could buy.

The pleasure and joy of having a happy family is also something that money certainly cannot buy. Add to this respect and inner peace and it becomes more obvious that money really is just a tool, something which can be used to oil the wheels of life so they run more freely. Clearly a great advantage for those who have it but more dangerous for them, when they start to let the love of money drive their lives. Nowadays, as our world becomes ever more excessively concerned with material possessions and money-oriented, emotional, spiritual and mental welfare tends to take a back seat. We forget that only by using our money correctly may we achieve a happy heart and agreeable life.

Internationally acclaimed, singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is someone else who appears to be determined to remain grounded in his roots.

He disclosed, during a BBC Radio programme that he employs, and surrounds himself, with his old school friends and family members. The reason is because they know him well enough, when he had nothing, to tell him when he is being stupid. If you stop believing your close friends, those who knew before you had money, you have probably started to create trouble for yourself. Guess how Ed summed up his attitude to enjoying what really matters to him? He said that, even with all his money, a luxury item he always makes sure he has, when touring, is a bottle of tomato ketchup.

If you think having more, and even more money, can give you the best feeling in life, maybe this true incident will convince you otherwise. When Big Bazaar opened their store in Trivandrum, Kerala; a customer noticed an elderly lady looking confused standing before an escalator. “May I help you?” he enquired. The lady replied that she had never seen ‘one of these before and didn’t know what to do’. The customer recalled later, to his friends, how much joy it had given him to see the pleasure in the lady’s face when they reached the top. The incident had made his day. I wonder what the lady would have said if she had known that her helper had been a millionaire film/record producer English tourist. The pleasure she had given him, with the look on her face, was worth something that money could not buy.

Which brings us to our punchline in response to the proposal; ‘Money can’t but everything in life’. Whilst money plays an indispensable part in our lives it is not everything because family, friends and love are the only things which may give us true happiness. Unless you feel happy, content and have a good sense of self, when you reach the top of the escalator, then clearly you will realise that money can’t buy you everything in life.

Maritime Arbitration: A Global Analysis

Maritime arbitration is being increasingly preferred as an alternative method of dispute resolution by the stakeholders in the maritime industry. Major maritime countries in the world have been upgrading their legal system with much emphasis on arbitration with the intention to project their country as an arbitration friendly forum. The contracting parties while deciding on the forum for arbitration basically seeks to resort to jurisdictions which provide for cost effective and speedier adjudicating procedure with finality of arbitration award, ensuring certainty in results.
London continues to dominate the maritime arbitration scene. It has been noticed that the London Maritime Arbitrators Association stood head and shoulders above all other dispute resolution centres. One of the advantage of the arbitration in England is that unlike other jurisdictions, the English courts usually allow you to raise questions on a point of law. This right of appeal can in a way prove advantageous to the parties.  The full implications of Brexit for arbitration in the UK are being closely monitored by the industry, but it does not appear to have had any immediate impact. For a number of reasons, London remains a very attractive venue for parties to choose as a seat for arbitration. Apart from London, Paris and Geneva are also much sought after arbitration jurisdictions.
Commercial arbitration in the United States originated in New York which has a long and rich history of supporting maritime arbitration and continues to be a leading maritime and commercial arbitration centre. Party autonomy is the hallmark of New York maritime arbitration. The parties are free to determine most procedural rules, and to select arbitrators (or the method of their selection) and the law to be applied. The arbitration awards are final and not subject to appeal save on narrow, largely procedural, grounds. A great majority of maritime arbitrations in New York are conducted under SMA (Society of Maritime Arbitrators) rules. Awards are enforceable in any country which is a signatory to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral awards and the Inter-American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration. Maritime awards in New York are usually final and binding. There are very few specific grounds under which an award can be vacated, and these are confined to the fairness of the arbitration procedure. A mistake in law or fact is generally not a ground for vacating an award. Motions to vacate, modify or correct must be made within three months of the date of the award.
Singapore is gaining global footprint in respect of maritime arbitration. Its established record of neutrality has contributed to its development. The courts in Singapore have offered maximum judicial support to arbitration and minimum intervention. The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) stands out above the other regional arbitration centres. The country boasts a state of the art, integrated dispute resolution centre that houses first class hearing facilities and offices of top ADR institutes and dispute resolution professionals. Furthermore, Singapore has a judiciary that supports arbitration and there is a constant re-examination of legislation to ensure arbitration-friendly laws and processes are in place to promote and support arbitration. According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) 2015 Report, Singapore has consistently been ranked as the number one preferred seat for arbitration in Asia and among the top five preferred seats globally. The International Arbitration Act and the Arbitration Act only set the framework governing arbitrations in Singapore. Consequently, the provisions are generally not mandatory insofar as parties are free to agree on the specific rules and procedures that bind them. This is in line with the fundamental principle of party autonomy in arbitration proceedings. However, the provisions relating to the enforcement, setting aside and/or appeal of the arbitral award are mandatory. The main arbitration organisations in Singapore are the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA).The Singapore government has built an impressive infrastructure to support international arbitration in Singapore and has actively been behind efforts to promote Singapore as the obvious and best choice for arbitration in the region.

Chairman’s Message

A quote, from nearly two hundred years ago, still lives on. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli had said, “What we anticipate seldom occurs but what we least expect generally happens”. This relationship between anticipation and expectation is a major factor in market and business trends. It directly and indirectly affects our frame of mind and approach towards what is actually happening around us. I have consistently noticed that those who place too much emphasis on expectations frequently crash very fast, echoing Disraeli’s observation. ‘What we least expect generally happens!’
We may side-step the difficulties of anticipation and expectation by building on our past experience and endeavours. In this context it is worth recalling the words from our visionary leader, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Whilst three years have quickly passed since we discussed His Highness’s book, ‘Flashes of Thought’, I believe it is an opportune time to review its inspirational outlook. By doing this we may take advantage of the past few months, which have given us all an opportunity to collect ourselves, and think about re-inventing strategies for success. This will aid in overcoming the sluggish trends that are generally prevailing in the market.
An acclaimed approach, encouraged within CSS, is to nurture and encourage successful team work. Having time to reflect on our management and current corporate ideas it is heartening to read in many articles, that we are emulating the best examples. Faced with demanding challenges and slow-moving times, managements need to focus on energising the atmosphere so that their teams enthusiastically work together. I strongly believe that at CSS we continue to be outstanding in achieving a welcoming, interactive and inclusive workplace environment. This stands us in very good stead for developing our future plans.

Console Shipping Services India Pvt. Ltd

CSS India inaugurates its new regional headquarters recently. The office is situated in one the fastest growing cities in India, which is Kochi. CSS India had its Kochi operations from Wellington Island for the last many years. The new office is situated in the heart of the city close to the prestigious Lulu Mall in Edappally. The regional headquarters will serve its facilities for the India Finance department and the South India sales force.
The office was inaugurated by T S Kaladharan, Chairman, CSS Group. The function was attended by Sudharshan Vice President, South India and Pijush Saha, Branch Manager for CSS Kolkata. The ceremony was attended by other senior officials from the CSS India offices as well. “I feel that it is an opportune time to have a centrally located office in Kochi as plans are in place to strengthen the sales force in Kochi and nearby cities in the peninsular region. Also finance will be centralised in the new office which will give an edge to the operational team of CSS India” Commented Kala on the occasion.
Console Shipping Services India Pvt. Ltd.
Regional Head Quarters
Rainbow, Near Mylalath Temple
NH Byepass, Edappally, Kochi 682024
Tel : +91 484 485 4401
Fax : +91 484 485 4402
Email : mailcochin@cssindiagroup.com

CSS Attends 14th Annual GPLN Meet In Dubai

GPLN concluded successfully their 14th Annual General Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dubai where a multitude of GPLN members from around the world had plenty of networking opportunities during intense meetings and social events to maintain existing and established new contacts that will benefit greatly their business.

Consolidated shipping group was represented at the GPLN meet by Raj George – Senior Vice President Projects, Oil & energy, Narayan RT – General Manager CSS Bahrain & Qatar, Renjith Pillai – General Manager CSS Abu Dhabi and Oman.

“The event was well organized and was quite informative. We were able to interact with the members and discuss various trends and market projections within the industry. These global meets give us a face-to-face contact with GPLN partners who enable us to build professional relationship efficiently in the most cost effective manner” commented Narayan R T.

The record breaking attendance of over 177 GPLN delegates is the highest in GPLN history and speaks itself for the quality of the network and their highly skilled project forwarders. The opening day cocktail was sponsored by the CSS Group; and that proved to be a great opportunity to meet most of the delegates, some good friends whom CSS knew for many years.

“It was an honor for us at CSS to become the sponsor for the welcome dinner of the meet this time and we are thankful to GPLN. CSS has always cherished working alongside our partners in this association and gained great knowledge and information over the years related to project logistics” mentioned Raj George.

Global Project Logistics Network (GPLN) will be conducting its 15th Annual General Meeting from 26-28 May 2018 at the Dorint Park Hotel in Bremen, Germany.

“It was indeed a privilege to be a part of GPLN network meet, Moreover it goes beyond networking, offering visibility on the current biz trends and practices in projects logistics. Also the physical interaction provides better understanding on the network partners’ vision and inputs for positioning your organizational goals and the way forward to focus and concentrate on project logistics” said Renjith Pillai.

CSS Recommences From Kolkata


Console Shipping Services India Pvt. Ltd takes pride in announcing that they have resumed their Kolkata operations recently. In an official statement the company has mentioned that CSS has recommenced with full-fledged facilities and professionals at the helm to lead the new team in Kolkata. With a wide client base in the Eastern India, CSS Kolkata will soon have its share of the market as Kolkata is seen as a growing hub for Cargo movement for the whole area.

The team in Kolkata will be led by Pijush Saha as the Branch Manager and Anirban Saha as Deputy Sales Manager. CSS is located at one of the prime aristocratic business hubs in Kolkata which saw the inauguration on a Bengali auspicious day of the 5th of June 2017 with a traditional ceremony with few of their well-wishers and customers blessing the occasion. Inauguration was done by Sudharshan, Vice President, South India.

Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it is the principal commercial, cultural, and educational Centre of East India, while the Port of Kolkata is India’s oldest operating port and its sole major riverine port. In 2011, the city had a population of 4.5 million, while the population of the city and its suburbs was 14.1 million, making it the third-most populous metropolitan area in India. Recent estimates of Kolkata economy have ranged from $60 to $150 billion making it third most-productive metropolitan area in India, after Mumbai and Delhi. CSS India from its operational base in Kolkata can cater to the need of the entire West Bengal region, Orissa, Tripura and Assam. They can also extend their servicing to the neighboring countries of Nepal and Bhutan as well. The only way to penetrate the interiors and some remote locations in the North Eastern region is to have a strong and efficient transportation network. Concur service is available in some parts but it only depends upon the load factor and it cannot guarantee timely service.

Console Shipping Services India Pvt. Ltd.
Srishti, 3rd floor, Flat 3B, 12
Ho-Chi-Minh Sarani, Kolkata -700071
Mobile : +91 9830295152
Tel : +91 33 46014171, Fax : +91 33 46014171
Email : mailkolkata@cssindiagroup.com

A Rare Recognition



CSS Homeward Bound was awarded as Best Moving & Relocation Services Provider – UAE & Award for Excellence in Personal Effects Movement Services – UAE. The award was constituted by the MEA Markets under the 2017 GCC Enterprise Awards.

CSS Homeward Bound is the moving & relocations division of CSS Group with many years of experienced service in the Middle East region. CSS Homeward Bound takes pride in having a long list of reputed clientele in this region.

Along with moving and relocation services, CSS Homeward Bound provides professional attention when it comes to Industrial packing and lashing requirements. A large and well equipped warehouse in the heart of the city gives an edge to CSS Homeward Bound to provide storage and self-storage facilities.

CSS Homeward Bound has created a name for itself as one of the leading specialists in local and international removals. Whether it is a local or international removal, their removal specialists are there to handle the job, efficiently and professionally. They offer removal services that suit the requirements of their customers. All personal effects / household items / office items are carefully packed and shipped to the specified destination.

MEA Markets is a quarterly publication dedicated to researching and publicising the major moves and events as they happen across the entire Middle East & Africa region.

As one of the world’s most powerful, innovative and influential business regions, and home to countless leading firms across numerous fast-moving industries, the Middle East & Africa has a huge hand in shaping what happens throughout the wider global corporate community.

Rail Ballast Cleaning Machine Movement

The Projects team at CSS Group successfully completed a major movement recently.

One Unit of Rail Ballast Cleaning Machine of 29 x 3 x 5 M and weighing 95 tons was moved from Hofuf site in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Dammam Port. The scope of work included lifting, loading and transport from the origin to the destination.

The experienced CSS projects team conducted a survey of the route and the destination prior to the commencement of the move. Each point of the entire project was carefully assessed to ensure a fool proof and smooth journey of the cargo. The cargo movement was conducted using Two 250 ton cranes for lifting and 12 axle trailer of 6 meters extended platform for transportation. “Each movement provides an opportunity to learn something new and so was this cargo movement for us. We are excited to have this project successfully completed” commented Sajith Vijayan, Manager, Operations, Projects Oil & Energy, CSS Dubai

Prior permissions were taken and escorts were arranged for the entire route. “The whole project was handled extremely professionally from start to finish, and allowed for CSS to showcase its continuous commitment to its clients to provide the highest quality of service. CSS Projects team’s experience and knowledge is the key factor to our high level of success percentage”, commented Raj George, Senior Vice President, Projects Oil & Energy, CSS Group, after the successful project completion.

Take A Break

Team NVOCC took a break from its busy schedules and joined together for some fun activities recently. A get together was organized at the residence of CSS Group Director for Operations and Ocean freight, Chandrakala (CK). The party saw some interesting team building activities, music and games which were followed by a dinner.

Even though the event was hosted in a simple way, the team members had an invaluable time sharing and discussing various matters and thereby cementing a solid bond amongst themselves. “Celebrations are recognitions for the staff and we believe that it is more important than anything to keep the life at work moving. Such get together provides room for personal interaction as well which is necessary for people to work as team” commented CK about the function.

Why All Cars Below 25 Lakhs Need To Be Banned In India

First, this is an impossible task. Let’s say a member of parliament (MP) proposes this in a meeting, his own colleagues will shut him up. Let’s say for some reason, his colleagues (Other MP’s agree), then the parliament may not pass the bill in both the houses. Several back door reasons will play. Who will consume commodities, metals, labour, capital – auto industry in India is one of the highest consumers of these inputs. Indian manufacturing will lose its sheen. All companies will lobby against the same. Most of all, the public will oppose it strongly. India being a strong functional democracy will find it impossible to pass this.

So let’s say this is a fictional article because it can’t be converted to reality.

Now, I am not the “banning” types. I just say it for getting the basics of life back like clean air, space, safety etc., and more so for aesthetics back in urban areas. This is also not classist because most of us including myself will have to weight options if cars cost above 25 lakhs.

Let me give some facts:

1. In 1995 , there were mainly 2 categories of cars – 1 sedan – Maruti esteem and 1 hatch – Maruti 800

Esteem was priced at 6 lakhs and 800 was priced at 2 lakhs

In these 22 years since 1995 – everything in India is up 20 times at least. The inflation index says that the median rise in price is 16 times

So by this simple reverse math, the 6 lakhs esteem cost 1.2 crores today and the 2 lakhs Maruthi 800 cost 40 lakhs today. So it’s not that cars were available at 5000 etc in 1995. The point is that a car is a car. It should be priced at a premium and only those who can afford it should buy it.

2.  Now if you disregard the economics above, let me show you around. Look at the road around you and see. Maximum cars are below 25 lakhs and look at them. It’s a shame on the aesthetics if they matter. We have 39 hatch back cars now named funnily but just look at them. It’s a box of metal masquerading as a car. Vomit. Think of that favourite hatchback or sedan. Think rationally. India is a country of immense beauty. So you have a sense of beauty. Now think with this sense. Vomit.

3. Most of these cars are sold with jingles and advertisements where it’s shown screeching, twisting, turning etc., and that is exactly how the owners of these cars drive them. Whatever happened to safety? These cars have very basic safety features but who cares for the drivers safety because the drivers themselves (due to their unprofessional driving) are the real threat on the road. The safety needed is not for passengers but others on the road. Airbags should be placed outside the car and not in it.

Now think of a scenario where all cars below 25 lakhs are banned and imagine the road. You will remember your city as it looked in the 90’s. Clean, expansive and beautiful. Open space, few cars, people walking, what fun!

But we need a solution as well, correct? Taxi network, and again all expensive long sedan taxis. All costing more than 25 lakhs. Not the lame duck ones with a touch screen mobile on its windscreen. Driving like nincompoops.

Now any person who can buy a car worth 5-25 lac can surely afford a taxi anywhere and pay 1000 bucks so what ? Also all drive ring licenses should be with strict tests like in Dubai. And voila, long, swanky, sexy looking sedans on the road dropping people. And I firmly believe that most people just wander around just because they have a car. Once they don’t, unnecessary wandering will stop for sure. What’s the need? Sit where you are duffer.

I think it’s not increasing hospital beds, its reducing patients, if there are no hospitals, i think lesser people will fall ill. If there are lesser restaurants, lesser the people will eat out. It’s the supply that is creating the demand. Not that we want it. But someone thinks you need it. I strongly feel that if there is no jail, crime will be lesser. Because it is there, some people go for it. This is all in the subconscious world of human beings. You act out of presence of supply.

Side effects of the 25 lac & below car ban will be:

  1. Unemployment
  2. Lack of demand for metals and plastics
  3. Stock prices of many companies will crash
  4. It may look unpopular
  5. It may look like favouritism to the wealthy
  6. Cribbing by the masses


But in 6 months, everything will settle down. Solutions will come up. Just imagine that clean, wide road. Also the municipality will not be blamed for bad roads because most won’t be driving on them. Less clutter on Facebook, whatsapp etc. No sarcasm. I won’t honestly do it if I could. Imagine a life without names like Dragon R ( why not Dragon S), Bravio, Shitwft, Lasoon Go, Hi ten, Hi twenty, kitna Hi karega, Polio etc wink – I think you know what I am saying.

Signing off and rushing back in my Gonda Cheaty