With India struggling to import enough coal to meet its domestic power and steel production needs, Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) subsidiary, Coal Export Services International (CESI), has seen a strong start to its new operations in the country. With India being one of the top thermal coal consumers in the world, and set to overtake China as the globe’s biggest importer, the new operations are attracting interest from many leading trading companies, shippers and receivers.

Reflecting this demand, CESI was recently appointed as cargo agents by a key shipper of metallurgical coal to monitor the discharge of a capsize cargo having separate consignments; the first being discharged in the Port of Mundra, Gujarat, before a second consignment was despatched to Pipavac, Gujarat.

Paul Summerford, General Manager of CESI Africa, oversaw this first cargo and helped create a new team in India which is capable of handling all such imports.  Koushik Chakraborty has been appointed as Manager of CESI India and will be in charge of day-to-day operations.

Summerford said: “The Indian market for coal continues to grow and we have brought our experience from other parts of Asia and the world to bear in creating this new operation.  As the recent discharges in Gujarat prove, we are ready to accommodate the demands of coal shippers, traders and receivers who are struggling to bring in the mineral fast enough.”