Pursuit of the Sea (with Sanjam Gupta)

Here we take you on the incredible journey of Sanjam Sahi Gupta, entrepreneur, leader and WISTA President - India. She speaks about her love for the Maritime Industry and why she chose to be where she is today, and that too on her own merit.

 

My father is a Master Mariner, who left the sea to start his own business in the shipping industry. When he would narrate tales of his voyages and experiences, we would listen completely enthralled. He instilled in us the love of the sea and this glorious industry. Right from the age five, I was hooked.

 

My sister and I were well learned. I graduated from HR College of Commerce and Economics, and then I pursued my MBA, the Family managed business programme, from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research as well as did my Shipping Management from Narottam Morarjee Institute of Shipping. My sister Sumeet too did her Graduation from St. Xaviers and went on to pursue her shipping management course. Our family legacy of academicians on the maternal side and businessmen on the paternal side gave us the best of both worlds.

 

I have grown up with the love of the sea. My father, Capt. S. S. Sahi, told us stories of his travels to countries, the experience of meeting people from various cultures, and I grew up seeing his modern outlook on life. It benefitted me tremendously. While he left sea very soon to start his own business, I always dreamed that one day I would be part of this glorious industry.

 

We are two daughters – when my sister and I started working in our family business, people would assume that because there was no son, I was "allowed to join". While attending dinners and gathering, we would sometimes be the only women there. At this one gathering, I recall the speaker addressing the gathering as "gentlemen", ignoring us completely. Women are often perceived as non-serious and mistaken for the wives or secretaries. This has improved and we see more women amongst the “suits” at association meetings and gatherings.

 

Shipping being male-dominated, like several others professions, the percentage of women in Management level is very small. There are plenty of women in the entry-level positions and but very few women in senior positions. There is a glass ceiling that holds them back from reaching leadership positions. While there is a bias, there has been a marked change in the last 15 years.

 

In India, Government regulations last year have made it compulsory for listed companies to have at least one woman director on their boards. This has forced a lot of the shipping companies to grudgingly follow that law. Some just end up appointing family members – wives or daughters – who are not active in the business. This, honestly, just defeats the purpose of giving more power to women.

 

It’s also a cultural thing-it varies region to region. In some countries, it’s more prominent than others.

 

My sister and I googled "women in shipping" and voila-there it was the WISTA (Women’s International Shipping & Trading Associate) website. We wrote to them and got the information to set up a board here in India. We found that once the legalities were taken care of, there were other women who were keen to come on board, and then finally after months of planning and preparation, WISTA India was launched on 7th December 2012 at the SCI Auditorium with the then Chairman Mr. Hajara.

 

With launching WISTA in India, we wanted to make a difference and create a platform for women in our industry. We meet and exchange experiences, take guidance and learn from each other. It has connected me with so many women in our industry and today I am happy to say most of them are good friends. It gives young professionals a chance to be mentored by the stalwarts of the industry and having a mentor is essential especially when one is a newcomer without any industry connections.

 

In the maritime sector, we are women working on a ship and at ashore. At the shore, there are limitations in the way that women are not allowed in port after dark and such. However, some ports, as well WISTA Brand Ambassador Mr. Anil Singh, VP of DPWorld Indian subcontinent, have encouraged even female crane operators to continue working. A few companies have a policy not to hire women, which, in my opinion, is very sad. Even female seafarers are not given the same level of opportunities as male seafarers.

 

Other than these I feel there is a big divide especially at the Top/Board level where the Gentlemen easily outnumber the women –no question. It is also sometimes sad that of the few women on top. There are some are very encouraging to others, but a handful of them want to remain exactly the “few” women on top and are not pro-women being women themselves.

We need to encourage people to look for the right “person” for the job rather than the right “man” for the job.

 

I was humbled to be elected to the Board of WISTA International in October 2014. In 2014, I also assisted the launch of WISTA in Sri Lanka.

 

I’m privileged to be part of this glorious industry. What other industry exposes us to so many cultures and helps facilitate world trade? The learning is immense! Each day we come across a new situation. Each day is a learning process. I have learned so much from this industry and I want to be able to give something back as well.

 

 

In the next edition, we dig deeper into her journey, with the support she received from her family and the industry. She also talks about how she, via WISTA, is able to encourage women to join this industry, and fall in love with it the way she has.