CSS Group at GPLN

GPLN concluded successfully their 13th Annual General Meeting at the Marriott Hotel Grand Place in the heart of Brussels where a multitude of GPLN members, sponsors and media representatives 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. The attendance of 170 GPLN delegates speaks itself for the quality of the network and their highly skilled project forwarders.
The event started on May 21 with a day trip to Ghent, before a cocktail reception took place in the evening to welcome all attending delegates. The following morning the delegates heard presentations from Rickmers-Linie, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL), Ruslan International, Maersk Lines and TII Group, who gave a brief overview of the benefits of using self-propelled modular transporters (SPMT) to move heavy and oversize cargoes around the world by road. After an afternoon of one-on-one meetings, delegates were treated to a gala dinner at the restaurant “La Manufacture” in Brussels. The event concluded on May 23 with a second day of one-on-one meetings.

Ranjith Pillai, Narayan and Raj George

The photo contest of the annual cap competition was won by GPLN member Dako Worldwide Transport from Germany, showing the transportation of a 185 ton cement mill to Russia which had a length of 18.5m, a diameter of 5.7m, and a total height of almost 6m.
GPLN also conducted a Heavy Lift Maritime and Transport Seminar on May 24 at the Marriott Hotel Grand Place.
GPLN brings together project cargo experts and independent project logistics specialist companies from around the world, all of whom have an expert focus on project logistics. This general meeting allows the participant the face-to-face contact with your GPLN partners where you are able to efficiently build professional relationships in the most lasting and cost effective manner.
Raj George, Senior Vice President, Projects, Oil & Energy, CSS Group, Narayan RT, General Manager CSS Bahrain and Renjith Pillai, Branch Manager, CSS Abu Dhabi represented  CSS Group during the three day GPLN Annual Global Meeting.
“GPLN is always a wonderful platform that provides great opportunities to discuss and formulize new ideas related to projects forwarding. We have pleasure in being a part of this network and gain a lot of mileage from attending the annual meet regularly,” Raj George mentioned.

Smart Palm and CSS

CSS Group takes pride in associating with the logistics service support to the most awaited Smart Palm project in Dubai. CSS role was to coordinate the packing and Transportation from the factory in Suzhou, China directly to the prep yard in Umm Suqeim. This was done in a timely and efficient manner with a challenging program to be met.

In the old days, we used to hear that a tree provided you shade from the sun and a fresh breath of air, rejuvenating your senses. However, in our ever evolving modern times, a tree is destined to provide you with much more than you bargained for. An artificial palm tree structure dubbed, “The Smart Palm” has been launched by the Dubai Municipality with Dubai based D-Idea. These Smart Palms are part of Dubai’s broader vision of being the world’s first with innovative, sustainable ideas, which transform Dubai into the world’s foremost “Smart City.”

The Smart Palm unit stands at  an impressive six meters in height which also house an array of street furniture, free-wifi, cell phone charging and an area for public service announcements.  Additional personalized information such as weather, local attractions and services within the areas are also available.

Dubai Municipality recently installed them in Jumeriah, Umm Suqueim and has further plans to roll them out across the Emirate.  The Smart Palm is the result of a partnership between Dubai Municipality and D-Idea.  Winsun Global is the supplier for D-Idea and has utilized the CSS Group as the sole logistics provider to facilitate door to door movement of the smart palms.

CSS role was to coordinate the packing and Transportation from the factory in Suzhou, China directly to the prep yard in Umm Suqeim. This was done in a timely and efficient manner with a challenging program to be met. “Being associated with such innovative ventures is really a matter of pride for us at CSS. This is yet another project to prove that CSS is the best service provider when it comes professional movement of cargo” mentioned Tasleem Patka, Business Development Manager, CSS Dubai

According to Director-General of the Dubai Municipality Hussain Nasser Lootah, 52 more Solar Palms will be installed at various public locations like beaches and parks in the coming months. The Smart Palm has mono-crystal solar panels on top of the “fronds” which get charged in the day light hours providing a sustainable environmentally friendly solution. There are eight charging points in this hub and it can charge gadgets two and a half times faster than ordinary plugs. The Smart Palm is a tribute to the innovative spirit of Dubai and is just the latest urban invention that our growing city has to offer.

The free WiFi network connectivity of Smart Palm has a range of 53 meters with capability of connecting 50 users simultaneously, and is provided by telecom company Du.

3D Printed Office Building

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, stated that the UAE has emerged as one of the major incubators of innovation and future technology in the world today, and its focused initiatives to shape the future have become global models that can be emulated in all sectors.

“We implement what we plan, and we pursue actions not theories. The rapidly changing world requires us to accelerate our pace of development, for history does not recognize our plans but our achievements,” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said while the opening of the ‘Office of the Future’, the first 3D-printed office in the world.

Consolidated Shipping Services Group got the opportunity to be a part of this novel venture. Being the only selected logistics partner, CSS was able to be associated with this landmark achievement initiated by the visionary leadership of Dubai. CSS moved the 3D walls on Open top containers from its origin in China to the destination in Dubai. Every moment of this movement was meticulously planned and executed by the professional team at CSS.

The 2,700-square-foot, single-story building was built in just 17 days using a gigantic, 20-foot tall 3D printer and a special mix of concrete, fiber reinforced plastic and glass fiber reinforced gypsum.

Although the “printer” was massive at about two stories tall, 120 feet long and 40 feet wide, it only needed one staffer to make sure it was functioning properly. The rest of the 18-person construction crew consisted of installers, electricians and mechanical engineers who completed the job for a mere $140,000 in construction and labor costs — or about half the price of a comparable structure built with conventional methods. Of course, the building is more than just another gold star in the UAE’s ultramodern play land — it will also serve, appropriately enough, as the temporary headquarters for the Dubai Future Foundation. Next year, the structure is scheduled to become the home of Dubai’s Museum of the Future.

“This is the first 3D-printed building in the world, and it’s not just a building, it has fully functional offices and staff,” the UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Mohamed Al Gergawi said. According to Gergawi, Dubai plans to have 25 percent of the buildings in the emirate built via 3D printing by the year 2030.

Yacht And Marine Logistics At CSS

CSS Group’s professionalism comes in demand when a specialised vertical where thorough expertise is indispensible, and that is none other than Yacht and Marine Logistics. A decade long hands on experience has made CSS one of the most preferred name when it comes to movement of expensive and luxurious yachts across the globe.

The team engaged with yacht movement not only takes the survey and submit the quotation, but demonstrate how the movement will be carried out. They also explain about the equipment to be used while the process takes place. The attention to detail makes CSS Yacht & Marine logistics team the most trusted partner around the world.

CSS Group has successfully moved yachts that belong to celebrities and the royal family members. The company is a preferred shipper for many of the world’s leading boat builders, including Correct Craft Inc., Gulf Craft, Princess Yachts, Sunseeker and Viking, along with Government officials and celebrities.

The yacht and Marine team has recently handled two yachts for Sevenstar Yacht Transport Agency UK, one from Jebel Ali to Hamburg (BENETEAU GTE57) and the other which came down to Jebel Ali from Las Spezia (Galeon 325HT) which was later on cleared and delivered to the client. CSS ensures that their people are specially trained to oversee every part of the shipping process, right from documentation till delivery.

For a client, hassle free movement is the highest pricing factor when it comes to expensive loads like yachts, and CSS ensures maximum client satisfaction.

Zero Is The Superhero

Have you ever wondered: People are so busy giving the Right answer forgetting that the question itself may be wrong?

Well, the conditioning that our environment does to us is such that we start playing to the rhetoric without actually thinking why?

So examples are:

We may call FPS as FPS Shipping and CSS as CSS Shipping, in-spite of the S already taking care of the word shipping.

            Or

We may all ensure that we have medical insurance but never ensure that we have a healthy life by eating and living well

            Or

We may constantly be seeing our emails or phones or Whatsapp without actually any urgency on anything

Or

We all want to become market leaders or come 1st in whatever we do.

Ahh, the last example is interesting. Coming 1st or the obsession with the 1st position or being on top at number 1.

Isn’t that what we all are trying to do sub consciously and isn’t that why we have most of the stress and emotional problems in life. The society is sub consciously celebrating anything and anybody who is at number 1 and therefore we all think by pursuing the number 1 position, we will get the self-esteem and self-worth we all are looking for.

But today we will sit back and check if the effort is worth the pain.

The quest to get to the top or number 1 brings out several poisons and i can enumerate as follows:

a)  It gives birth to “Competition” – when you want to run a race, since positions are all relative numbers and nothing in absolute terms, you have to become competitive. What this does to you is it makes you a person who becomes relative to his environment and not in harmony with it. So with each other thing or person, you will try to find your relative standing and stop seeking to know how you stand in harmony with it.

b) Next poison that comes out is “Insecurity” – when you start viewing everything in relative terms , you will get insecure about yourself. In absolute terms you are secure because nature has given you a harmonious position and not a relative position. But your eyes with which you view have become relative so you think you are insecure even though you are secure. Got it?

c)  Now armed with high “competitiveness” and “insecurity” and a vision “to be 1st “, you are totally out of context with the ways of existence and have created a parallel world in your mind. And now, whatever, whoever and whatsoever comes in the way of you gaining your relative position in the world, you view it as “enemy”, “obstacle” or “challenge.”

d) Then come some so called leaders (who are nothing but victims of the same thought process and have accumulated some wealth or what they think is “intelligence” but lack basic premise clarity) and they tell the young: overcome all competition, obstacles and challenges in LIFE.

By the way, keeping money small in life is a part of thinking big. And here you have some profiteers giving lessons on LIFE. Laughable isn’t it?

e)  Then the pursuit starts and it never ends, till you end or die or give up. Because it is a race no one wins. At every pedestal, you realise, i am so tired and yet there is so much to go. Because the flaw is the way you view things and not how things really are.

Ok, let’s say, a lucky few reach the TOP, at number 1 Or 1st position. Now what? Now, as all movies, enters the real villain. And that is the number Zero.

You have never thought about it but read now:

a.  Even if you come 1st, you are still behind Zero.

b.  Zero is so humble that it is never visible to any.

c.   Zero is so powerful, that if it stands behind anyone, it can add tremendous multiples of value to it.

d.  Zero in itself is free of all the poisons mentioned like competition, insecurity etc. I mean how much incrementally insecure can one get when one is already a Zero.

Now look and compare the person who has after all the effort come 1st. He is still behind Zero. He is only 1st and has nowhere to go now. He needs to preserve his 1st position all his life now and live in high insecurity. Not Zero. 1st position is actually a jail. From where you just can’t fail. But Zero is free, independent and can stand where it wants to. It stands before you and stands after you. You are actually nothing. It is Zero who decides what you are.

So my dear friends, next time you “PRAY” and ask god for something, pray that he makes you a Zero. Because as you have rightly realised by now, Zero is the ultimate superhero!

Practical tip: As easy as it sounds, it is most difficult to become a Zero. So my suggestion is for now, you aim for number 3 or beyond. Because number 2 is always HURT that he lost to number 1 by a fraction. And number 1, all of you know, is in a jail, insecure and highly protective of his relative position. Number 3 or 4 are relatively more comfortable. Relaxed, Living, Breathing.

Breathe. Hope you are?

Rahat Talreja
Vice President – CSS India
rahat@cssindiagroup.com

Expo 2020 Dubai And Dp World Partner To Position The Uae At The Heart Of Future Global Trade

Expo 2020 Dubai today announced DP World as its Premier Global Trade Partner.

The company, which is a leading enabler of global marine and inland trade, owns and operates 77 terminals globally including the Port of Jebel Ali, less than 10 km from the Expo site, and will play a vital role in the supply chain for the Expo, which will bring together over 180 nations and 25 million visitors for what will be the world’s largest event in 2020.

DP World is the third Premier Partner to be announced to date. The signing ceremony was attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee and Chairman of Dubai Airports and Emirates Airline, and His Excellency Mohammed Al Shaibani, Vice Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, Director General of His Highness The Ruler’s Court of Dubai, and CEO and Executive Director of the Investment Corporation of Dubai.

Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General Bureau Expo Dubai 2020, said, “Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa or South Asia. Serving an area with a collective population of nearly 3.2 billion people and a GDP of more than US $ 6.5 trillion, Expo 2020 will act as a gateway to one of the most important geo-economic trends shaping our world: the rise of emerging markets, developing countries and South-South trade. The partnership with DP World will play a central role in cementing the UAE’s position at the heart of future global trade.”

HE Al Hashimy added: “Trade and economic diversification are vital to the UAE’s future. Through this agreement with DP World and our other partners, Expo 2020 Dubai will leave an economic legacy in the form of new business generation, GDP growth and job creation across the region.”

Iraq To Invite Foreign Investors To Fund Major New Port

Iraq will invite foreign companies to invest in the construction of the Grant Faw Port in the coming days, to offset the Arab country’s funding shortage, an Iraqi newspaper has reported.

Almada Arabic language daily said Iraq’s transport minister Abdul Hussein Abtan announced the plan during a visit to the Southern Umm Qasr port this week. Abtan said the new investment opportunities would be announced during a conference at Baghdad Airport within the next few days.

The Iraqi government plans for the new port to be fully commissioned within the next two years and contractors will be invited to carry out projects on a post-payment basis or joint operation. The Southern Faw Port will be one of the world’s largest container terminals according to design plans and will eventually have a capacity to handle 99 million tonnes of cargo annually. The port will include a 39km container quay and two km of berths along with a container warehouse and hinterland covering more than one million square metres.

The port is intended to cut sea freight journey times between Asia and Europe, using overland connections through Iraq and Turkey, bypassing the Suez Canal.

Evergreen Marine Gets 20-Year Extended Lease Of Panama’S Colon Terminal

Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine Corp announced it has won an approval to extend its lease of the Colon Container Terminal (CCT) in Panama for another 20 years.

The extended 20-year lease was approved on Wednesday by the government of Panama, ahead of the inauguration of the expanded Panama Canal on 26 June. Evergreen Marine stated in a news release that the extended lease of the container terminal will help improve its service and efficiency and consolidate Panama’s status as a transhipment hub in the Americas.

CCT can accommodate large containerships and it has three wharfs for small to medium sized boxships. With number 4 wharf being expanded to link to number 3 wharf, the entire docking length will be 780 metres, long enough to cater to two large ships of 12,000-14,000 teu. Two other wharves can accommodate ships of up to 5,000 teu.

Evergreen highlighted that with the joining of wharves 3 and 4, the total annual capacity at Colon port will increase to 2.4m teu from 1.5m teu.

New Policy For Dry Bulk Cargo For Major Ports In India

To increase efficiency of major ports, a new berthing policy for dry bulk cargo will be in place from August 20, the government said today.

“Ministry of Shipping has formulated a new Berthing Policy for Dry Bulk Cargo for all major ports which will come into effect from August 20, 2016,” Ministry of Shipping said in a statement.

The objective of the new policy is to provide a standardised framework for calculation of norms, specific to the commodity handled and the infrastructure available on the berth besides driving higher productivity and achieving near-design capacity of the available equipment/infrastructure, it said.

It will reduce berthing time and overall turn-around time of ships, drive higher cargo throughput using the available infrastructure in major ports, the statement, said adding it will improve utilisation of port assets and create additional capacity without any significant capital investment.

Further, the policy aims at increasing competitiveness of major ports by creating value for the trade through reduced logistics cost and at reassessing the capacity of the berths based on the expected performance of the berth equipments and vessels derived from performance norms.

“All the major ports will be holding trade meetings between July 1 to July 18, 2016 to sensitise the norms, incentives, penalties and charges to be implemented,” it said.

Dry bulk cargo currently makes up over 26 per cent of the cargo handled at the 12 major ports while growth in coastal shipping is expected to add about 100-150 million tonne per annum (MTPA) of additional dry bulk cargo at ports by 2020-25.

Jet Airways Set To Add More Flights To Gulf

Jet Airways has announced its move to operate new daily services from Hyderabad to Dammam and from Mangaluru to Sharjah from August 7.

A press release said that the addition of these services will bolster Jet Airways’ offering to the Gulf, strengthening the network and enhancing connectivity for passengers. Dammam will be the second city in the Gulf region to be connected with Hyderabad by Jet Airways after Abu Dhabi. With the addition of Sharjah, Jet Airways will operate to three cities in the Gulf region from Mangaluru.

The airline currently operates daily flights to Abu Dhabi and Dubai from Mangaluru.

Gaurang Shetty, Wholetime Director of Jet Airways, said in a statement: “With economic ties between India and the Gulf region flourishing, Jet Airways recognises the need to provide more flight options to its passengers.”

Travel between India and the Gulf is witnessing rapid growth with over 32 lakh flyers travelling to the Gulf countries from India between January to March 2016 and a similar number returning to India during the same period.

Qatar Airways Cargo Announces Major Expansion

Qatar Airways Cargo plans to expand into three key new markets and is launching a new portfolio of air freight solutions, the first of which will be QR Live, for the transportation of animals.

The announcement was made by Qatar Airways chief officer cargo, Ulrich Ogiermann at a press conference on the opening day of Air Cargo China 2016 in Shanghai.

Ogiermann said the world’s third largest cargo carrier by international flights will enter the Transpacific, Australian and South American air freight markets in the next nine months.

This major enhancement of the carrier’s network is made possible by the constant growth of its fleet, which now includes nine Boeing 777F, eight Airbus 3330F and two Boeing 747F aircraft, as well as the opening of its new European hub in Luxembourg.

The cargo carrier projects that its pure cargo fleet will grow to 22 aircraft by 2017 and from 1 July, the carrier will double its flights into and out of Luxembourg providing better connectivity for its customers.

Ogiermann also announced that Qatar Airways Cargo will add Halifax (Canada) and New York (JFK) to its freighter network in July 2016.

Safmarine At 70

CSS Group participated at the 70th anniversary celebrations of Safmarine recently held in Dubai. The milestone achievement was celebrated by Safmarine, inviting their industry partners and well-wishers for a cocktail dinner and entertainment evening on the 01st June, at the Al Wasl ball room of Dusit Thani in Dubai. CSS Group was represented by Seshan Janik, Vice President NVOCC and Angeli Sudheer, Manager Pricing and Customer service.

Safmarine is an international shipping company offering container and break-bulk shipping services worldwide. Formed in 1946 by South African industrialists and American ship owners, Safmarine is now widely known as a north/south trade and African specialist. The line is represented in more than 130 countries throughout the world, with more than 1200 sailors selling their services.

“CSS enjoy a warm and cordial business relationship with Safmarine which was established more than 5 years ago. It has been a wonderful relationship and we have gone at great lengths to jointly develop business across global markets. We are extremely delighted to be a part of this wonderful celebration”, mentioned Seshan Janik.

The celebrations witnessed some interesting games for which prizes were given to the winners. A short film depicting the history and growth of Safmarine was also shown at the occasion. CSS had a wonderful opportunity to network amongst the industry partners and share ideas during the function.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars

CSR activities have always been an integral part of CSS for the last two decades of its service in the UAE and India.  By participating in the charity initiatives of the UAE government CSS has always demonstrated its responsibility in giving back to the society.
Being a renowned philanthropist, T S Kaladharan, Chairman of CSS Group had initiated many an events in India as well which covered the educational and healthcare spectrum of his home state of Kerala. During the recent school reopening in the state, a novel venture was organized on behalf of CSS Group, contributed by Kaladharan, in his village of Thrikkunnappuzha. This year CSS donated One thousand school kits with bags, books, pencil boxes and pencils along with an umbrella with it, amongst the less fortunate government school students of the region.
This initiative went helping 5 schools in the village witnessing enthusiastic small faces cheerfully receiving the contribution. CSR initiatives of CSS Group new bags and umbrellas were distributed amongst pre-primary and primary school children at Thrikkunnappuzha, Alleppey Dist. Kerala. Five schools which are running under the Government of Kerala aid were benefitted by this regular CSR programme of school aid distribution.
New bags and umbrellas brought beaming smiles on the  little faces. The programme commenced with local authority members from the Panchayat wards welcoming the gathering.  All the children, their parents and the school authorities were present for the occasion.  Sumptuous feast in the traditional Kerala style was also orgaised for the students, parents and the school staff on the first day of the academic year. G Unnikrishnan, Head of Marketing and Corporate communications, CSS Group and Hareendran, Manager, Devas Farm house represented CSS Group at the function.

Healthier Lifestyle – An Easier Way…

There are two occasions when magazine articles seem to focus on lifestyle. The beginning of a New Year is the obvious one, when we all are encouraged to make resolutions. The other time is now, as the mid-point of the year, draws near. At this juncture enough time has passed for us to be able to assess what any resolutions have achieved. Invariably we all think about lifestyle but other demands seem to distract us. Living healthily all seems so simple but it is never this easy. Some of us have more will power and greater motivation whilst others struggle. If you start with a negative mind-set you are doomed to failure.  Hopefully this article will provide you with some tips to help you develop a technique which works.

It’s not that long ago that eyebrows may have been raised if a middle-aged person joined a gym or kickboxing club, took-up Pilates or even started dance classes. Nowadays in many cultures, almost anything goes in the quest for a healthier lifestyle.  What we need to ensure, in this pursuit, is that we enjoy it. If trying to be healthier brings us pleasure, both emotionally and physically, then we will carry on and achieve our goals.

The first step is to get a training buddy then set goals and find ways of making things fun. You have to have an objective and a real reason that will encourage you to take the first step. Having a training buddy, where you arrange to regularly meet someone, will provide encouragement and also means you will probably have a laugh egging each other on. Once this becomes part of your routine then you are on your way to success.

The second step is to remember to start with small steps. Booking a session with a trainer and finding yourself in roomfuls of strange machines and pounding bodies can be really scary. So start off gradually and don’t be pushed into trying too hard. Once you know how to use the various types of equipment you will begin to enjoy it. Being surrounded by others, enjoying exercising, spurs on motivation. Joining-in with various classes also provides welcome variation. Of course if gyms are not your thing then you’ll just have to accept it and discover an alternative.  Even simple things like taking breaks from sitting at the desk or doing press-ups and stretching whilst the TV adverts are showing all helps to break an unhealthy cycle of inactivity. Regularly playing sports, swimming, tennis and golf or even walking and gardening can all play their part as forms of exercise. Gyms are not the be all and end all.

The third step is the 5 minute rule. If you struggle to get into your exercise routine, after a tiring day at work, then give it 5 minutes. Often, in such situations, it’s not a physical tiredness which is holding you back but the mental left-overs from the stresses and strains of work. Chilling for 5 minutes can make all the difference.

The fourth step for many is the real fun – adding ‘the beat’ to your exercise! Boosting up your pace with a lively beat in your headphones really does make all the difference.

The fifth step is all about variation. Variety really is the spice of life and by combining cardiovascular activity, at your own level of fitness, with weight training will achieve the best results.  The different routines will provide a more interesting programme of training that will also bring better health rewards. Hopefully your gym will have its own qualified trainer or coach, so seek their advice and guidance

Finally the sixth step is to realise that a healthy mind and a healthy body are intrinsically interdependent. Remember that training your mind, as much as your body, is of equal importance. After exercise, good sleep, sufficient recovery time and nourishing food are necessary requirements. If you are ill or injured you must not trying pushing yourself. Similarly when you ‘on a downer’ and lacking motivation having a good mental attitude and emotional skills will help get back on track.

This brings us back to the first step because, with the help of your training buddy, you’ll be able to remind each other that where the mind goes the body follows. In the process you will both enjoy, reaping the benefits, encouraging each other to lead healthier lifestyles.

Have fun………

Maritime Arbitration As An Alternative Recourse

Arbitration is emerging as a viable and preferred recourse to dispute resolution even in maritime matters owing to the international and cross border nature of the subject matter.. The traditional and usual methods of approaching national courts of the parties, independent of each other, choosing one of the courts of the parties or choosing a neutral national court or resorting to mediation or conciliation, so on and so forth, have their own setbacks. For instance, the National courts of independent parties may be perceived to be partial, corrupt or incompetent by the other, while a neutral national court of a third country and its procedures, though assuring, might seem foreign and alien to both the parties. Mediation and conciliation on the other hand may have no final result as they are just  forms of further agreement. In relation to all of the above, Arbitration tends to sort out the ambiguities and drawbacks of the conventional solutions pragmatically.

There are an array of advantages for the parties in using arbitration, such as, the ability of the parties to choose the identity of the arbitrator, or the mechanism of choosing the arbitrator, the place or venue of the arbitration, the procedure of the arbitration (including the degree of confidentiality involved), the law to govern the dispute, the law to govern the procedure of the arbitration and the court to supervise the arbitration are all important benefits which gives the parties greater degree of freedom and flexibility in resolving the dispute relating to them. It is also a way to escape the mundane and complex legal systems of ordinary jurisdictions, which international parties are forced to interact owing to commercial interest in maritime industry. Still further Conventions like United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards 1958 (the New York Convention) and the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration 1985 (the Model Law) have cemented the recognition of international arbitrations globally; thereby making Arbitration awards conformably with these conventions far more widely enforceable than the judgments of national courts.

Chairman’s Message

T S Kaladharan

 

Nowadays many companies spend a considerable amount of money, on motivational activities, for their employees. But does anyone take stock of the results, which follow, after such programmes? How much has anyone really benefitted? These are not my questions but ones that
I recently heard from one of my friends who leads a large work force, of around 500 people, in India. If you ponder on this, to what extent do you feel that what he said is correct? Is the concept of motivational projects losing appeal?
I believe that it all depends on how a company encourages its staff to talk with each other. This applies not only at work but also in our family and social lives.  Emails and texting have replaced many opportunities to talk. Even during lunch-breaks many are hunched over their mobiles, interacting with social media, in preference to talking. It is obvious to me that you cannot realistically build on the benefits of motivational ventures if we do not talk with each other. Of course, just like other means of communication, I am mindful that actions speak louder than words.
Nevertheless the greatest motivation lies in the, sometimes magical, results arising from talking to each other. Within CSS I have always desired an environment where we are all encouraged to talk with each other, regardless of our position within the company, because great ideas may spring from the smallest seed. To achieve the best motivational results one needs to balance the art of talking with the skill of listening. An observer recently made a comment about Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth saying that her greatest skill, when talking with others, was to always listen intently.  Taking on board such a combination I am confident that we will be motivated in an effectively beneficial way.
Enjoy Reading!!!

Strategic Buying & Beyond in an International Marketplace

CSS Group participates at the 3rd IPSC Conference 2016


The 3rd International Procurement and Supply Chain conference was held in Atlantis the Palm, Dubai on the 16th April 2016. Consolidated Shipping Services Group participated in the event in both Panel discussion as well as sponsorship arena. The 3rd International Procurement & Supply Chain Conference, 2016 is an annual gathering of eminent logistics and supply chain experts who think globally but act locally. Built on the theme “Strategic Buying & Beyond in an International Marketplace,” the conference focussed on Excellence in Supply Chain means moving beyond costs and creating better products with minimum damage to the environment. It also discussed on an integrated strategy to procurement and supply chain.

CSS Group Vice President for Freight Forwarding & Key information Department, Ajay Krishnan was one of the panel members for the discussion topic “Why Benchmarking is important to Supply Chain”. The topic discussed on subjects like companies need to make use of the latest technologies and the skills of empowered professionals to push profits in a resurgent Middle East economy. To improve their supply chain performance, companies are adopting new best practices. A memento was awarded to Ajay for being the panellist. “This was an opportunity to share thoughts, indulge in a constructive debate on why benchmarking is essential to supply chain with other experienced minds from our fraternity. The session and the event as a whole allowed us to showcase the initiatives we have, as the CSS Group, in improving the supply chain process for our customers,” commented Ajay.

The conference was organised by The Blue Ocean Academy, which is considered as the region’s largest knowledge empowerment enterprise. The one-day conference brought together heads of Supply Chain and Procurement and important policy-makers from the Middle East region who have played a crucial role in transforming UAE into the leading supply Chain hub that it is today who will analyse contemporary trends and pave the foundation for future innovation.

CSS Group showcased its services and facilities in the exhibition which was simultaneously held with the conference. CSS was honoured with a memento for being a silver sponsor for the event, which was received by Ajay on behalf of the staff & management of the company.

World Cargo Alliance – Abu Dhabi

Console shipping services India at WCA Conference

WCA has seen record attendance figures at its first ever WCA Conference Week in the Middle East region. The seven-day event, which took place from 10-16 March 2016 in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, was attended by 2,585 members, representing 1,358 companies from over 100 countries.
Console Shipping Services India Pvt. Ltd. (CSS India) attended the conference and was represented by Jairam K R, Director, CSS India. WCA is the world’s largest and most powerful network of independent freight forwarders, with over 6,056 member offices in 186 countries worldwide.
“WCA provides ample space to interact with the agents globally and discuss new concepts and concerns of the Logistics industry. Being the first time in the Middle East, WCA attracted delegates both from the east and the west equally. CSS India has great benefits in being at the WCA conference and we enjoy networking here”, commented Jairam K R.
Dan March, WCA’s new Chief Executive Officer, said of the restructured schedule, bringing together the 18th Annual and 8th Worldwide Conference: “The new format of a combined plenary session, one-on-one meetings and gala awards dinner has been a great success. Not only does this allow us to reduce the conference duration by a day – saving all delegates time and money – but it also provides even more interaction and business opportunities for attendees of both conferences.”
Important member benefit announcements were made during the plenary session, including the formal launch of Consol2Xchange, the network’s new consolidation exchange platform where members can search, negotiate, sell and purchase consols online.
Additionally, WIN – a platform that, traditionally, cost members to connect with agents, brokers and carriers – is now exclusively free for members through to the end of this year.
WCA also announced a new initiative to help members become proactive leaders armed for a future in e-commerce logistics.  David Yokeum, who will head up WCA’s newly, formed Supervisory Board as Chairman, said: “By 2020 it is projected that freight forwarding will be 20 per cent e-commerce driven. Therefore, we feel compelled to become heavily involved and are working hard to develop e-commerce tools for our members.”

From Derince to Dubai

Transformer movement and installation by CSS Projects team

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

Six Transformer units each of 7 x 2.8 x 3 M and weighing 60 tons each were moved from Derince Port, Turkey to Dubai. The movement was from Door to Door including the installation procedures. As is the practice, extensive study and survey was conducted as part of this movement regarding the Origin, Destination and the Travel route. Each point of the entire project was carefully assessed to ensure a fool proof and smooth journey of the cargo. At the destination, transformers were installed using the Jacking and Skidding method under the supervision of technical experts.

Prior permissions were taken and escorts were arranged for the entire route. “CSS Projects team has got a proven expertise in transformer movement, as we have done some major movements in the past as well. When it comes to installation, highly experienced technical team comes into the picture. Our past experience and successful results attracts clients to us when such demands pitch in”, commented Raj George, Senior Vice President, Projects Oil & Energy, CSS Group, after the successful project completion.

With New Responsibility

CSS Group Management is pleased to announce that Sreenath V, Siby C Kurian & Ajay Krishnan has been promoted as Vice Presidents. In the new role they will continue to oversee the activities of their respective departments. With their vast experience and commitment towards the company, the management expect to see remarkable progress in all sectors related to the departments and wish them all success.


Sreenath V
Vice President- Operations & Projects


With hands on experience in Operations and Projects management, Sreenath had spearheaded his team in successfully completing CSS commitments in the past. Leading a large workforce in the operational division and keeping them motivated are some of the many achievements of his career.


Siby C Kurian
Vice President- Sales & Marketing


Excellent PR and Marketing skills within the industry has made Siby one of the known faces amongst the shipping and logistics fraternity. Total commitment towards his responsibility and his team has always brought in laurels for the company, throughout his career.


Ajay Krishnan
Vice President- Freight Forwarding & Key Information dept.


A thorough professional in the field of Shipping and Logistics and a vast knowledge about the liner activities from his past career, Ajay looks after the Freight Forwarding and Key Information Department of CSS. With a little under two decades of experience in the industry, Ajay’s new position is sure to bring in changes within the department.