Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd.

House flag of Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd.

Scindia house - Ballard pier Mumbai closeup

Scindia house - Ballard pier Mumbai full view

The Scindia Steam Navigation Company, founded in 1919, is the oldest shipping company of India.

History[]

Foundation and early years[]

On 19 December 1914, the RMS Empress of India was reported sold to Scindia of Gwalior (also known as the Maharajah of Gwalior).^[1] The former Empress was re-fitted as a hospital ship for Indian troops. On 19 January 1915, the ship was renamed Loyalty. In March 1919, she was sold to the newly-formed Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd; on 5 April 1919, navigation history was created when she journeyed to the United Kingdom, a crucial step for India's shipping history when sea routes were controlled by the British.

Expansion and competition[]

In 1932, the company purchased the Bengal Burma S.N. Co.; the company also purchased the Indian Co-operative Navigation & Trading Co., the Ratnagar S.N. Co., and in 1952 the Bombay S.N. Co.. The company purchased shipyards in India in 1940, named Scindia Shipyard; its first ship, the 8000-ton Jalusha, was launched soon after independence by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1948.

Post war[]

The registered office is at Scindia Colony, Building III, Sir M.V. Road, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400069.

Flag[]

The house flag of Scindia is blue, with a white disc bearing a red swastika, an ancient Indian symbol unrelated to the its use by Nazi Germany.

Legacy[]

The National Maritime Day is celebrated in India on 5 April, the anniversary of the Loyalty's journey to the United Kingdom.

Locality[]

Scindia, Visakhapatnam

References[]

^ "Empress of India Sold; Scindia of Gwalior Buys Liner to Serve as Hospital Ship," New York Times. 20 December 1914.

External links[]

List of Ships owned by Scindia

[1] "Empress of India Sold; Scindia of Gwalior Buys Liner to Serve as Hospital Ship," New York Times. 20 December 1914.

[1]