Columbia Aurus Ship Management will tap into the Indian crewing market to further consolidate Columbia’s march eastwards.

Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) has signed an agreement with Aurus Ship Management to explore various ship management opportunities in the Indian market.

As part of the agreement, Aurus Ship Management will be renamed Columbia Aurus Ship Management (CASM) and will work to become the leading provider of maritime services in the Indian market.

Services offered by the newly renamed entity will fall within the scope of the traditional business of Aurus Ship Management including recruitment of crew, purchasing, payroll management and technical services. With a particular focus on attracting, training, and retaining experienced and qualified crew, it is the aim of the rebranded set-up to become synonymous with maritime excellence throughout India. Combining CSM’s advanced development of in-house and external training resources, CASM will capitalise on the immense wealth of experience in the local and national Indian crewing market.

The move, which will ensure the supply of highly qualified and dedicated crewmembers from India, is seen as a way for CSM to increase its footprint in this very important market. By the implementation of a CSM Cadet Program in close collaboration with Aurus and Indian Academies, both parties will attract young talent, contribute to the further enhancement of the seafarer skillset and secure long term employment.

Drawing on a combined total of over 45 years of experience, both CSM and Aurus are convinced of the mutual benefits a partnership in this form will bring. CASM will leverage the existing local expertise of the well-established Aurus name in India and the international knowhow and size of the CSM name to become a true force in the Indian maritime ecosystem. Looking to capitalise on the advent of future green technologies and changes in the maritime space, the new company will be forward-looking, flexible and innovative in its approach.

Prakash Agarwal, CEO of  AURUS said: “It is our immense pleasure to be chosen as the Indian partner of Columbia Shipmanagement in India and we very much look forward to working with them in partnership. To reflect our new relationship, Aurus has changed its name to Columbia Aurus Ship Management to signify our commitment and the exciting times ahead.

“Aurus Ship Management commenced operations just six years ago and we are proud that Columbia Shipmanagement considers us worthy of partnering them in India. We believe it recognises the professionalism of our team of shore based employees and the values of the company that has seen exponential growth in its business activities.

“We believe the partnership with CSM will provide new and exciting career opportunities over the coming years for those seafarers who choose to come and work with us. There is no doubt this partnership will further enhance the existing very high reputation of the Indian seafarer within the International Maritime Industry.

“We are very excited and look forward to being part of the Columbia family.”

Mark O’Neil, CEO of CSM, said: “When forming a partnership with another company it is vital that the two cultures of their businesses are aligned. In Aurus we have found this partner. A leader in the Indian crew recruitment space, Aurus, like CSM, prioritises the needs of seafarers and its workforce. Crucially, both companies believe in operating in the most environmentally and socially conscious way whilst making informed and ambitious commercial decisions. We look forward to making CASM a success based on this shared vision and are very excited about what the future holds.”