Scindia house - Ballard pier Mumbai closeup

The Scindia Steam Navigation Company, founded in 1919, is the second oldest

shipping company A shipping line or shipping company is a company whose line of business is ownership and operation of ships. Shipping companies provide a method of distinguishing ships by different kinds of cargo: # Bulk cargo is a type of special cargo that is ...

of India. The first being the

Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company The Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company (SSNC) was one of the first indigenous Indian shipping companies set up during the Indian independence movement. It was started in 1906 by V. O. Chidambaram Pillai to compete against the monopoly of the Brit ...

of VOC Pillai in today's

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

that was founded in 1906.

History

Foundation and early years

On 19 December 1914, the RMS ''Empress of India'' was reported sold to

Scindia House of Scindia or earlier known as the Sendrak was a Hindu Maratha Royal House that ruled the erstwhile Gwalior State in central India. Ranoji Scindia rose as a prominent military commander under Peshwa Bajirao I. Ranoji and his descendants ...

Gwalior Gwalior (Hindi: , ) is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; It is known as the Music City of India having oldest Gwalior gharana, musical gharana in existence. It is a major sports, cultural, industrial, and political c ...

(also known as the

Maharajah Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a prince. However, in late ancient India ...

). "''Empress of India'' Sold; Scindia of Gwalior Buys Liner to Serve as Hospital Ship,"
''New York Times.'' 20 December 1914. The former ''Empress'' was re-fitted as a

hospital ship A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating healthcare, medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navy, navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or ...

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 Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...

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 The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...

, a Hindu symbol of prosperity.

Legacy

The

National Maritime Day Maritime Days are holidays typically established to recognize accomplishments in the sailor, maritime field. Maritime Days include: * China National Maritime Day * European Maritime Day * Indian Maritime Day (5 April) * Mexican National M ...

is celebrated in India on 5 April, the anniversary of the ''Loyaltys journey to the United Kingdom.

Locality

* Scindia, Visakhapatnam

References

External links

List of Ships owned by Scindia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. Shipping companies of India Companies based in Mumbai Transport companies established in 1919 Maritime history of India Walchand Group Indian companies established in 1919