History

In the early 1900s Jivraj Singhji Reshamwala established a business in Bombay to import bagged rice from Burma and coal from Lourenco Marques and Durban into India.

Later his two grandsons, Ravindra and Mahendra, aged 21 and 18 respectively, established India's first Ship-Broking and Chartering House. They set up M/s Ravindra K. Reshamwala in July 1948.

The Company has a long history of chartering for Crude Oil/Gas/Dry-Bulk/Chemicals and Project cargoes. It has also been involved in the development of the industry's infrastructure in India.

In the mid 1900's the Bangur - Soman Group's, Shree Digvijay Cement, appointed Reshamwala Shipbrokers to advise them on the setting up of a cement plant in Gujarat, jointly with the Maharaja of Jamnagar, with the aim of exporting bagged and clinker cement. Ravindra Reshamwala identified Sikka as the port most suited for the plant. Upon Reshamwala's study, Shree Digvijay Cements set up their plant and the Port of Sikka came into being. Today Sikka is one of India's most active ports.

Prior to 1959, the imports of grains, fertilizers, sugar and other necessities for the Indian Government were handled by the 'India Supply Mission' offices in London and Washington. Mahendra Reshamwala along with then Prime Minister late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's team was instrumental in establishing 'Transchart', a central chartering committee for the Government of India, set up to handle the imports of State-Owned Companies. As an active participant in the formation of Transchart, Reshamwala Shipbrokers was appointed as the first broker on the esteemed Transchart Panel.

The Company was the first in India to be involved in project cargo shipments (machinery used in steel plants, paper mills and cement plants) from north European and Scandinavian ports to India. Moreover, Reshamwala Shipbrokers has had the privilege of being Indian Oil Corporation's (IOC) exclusive broker from 1960 to 1972, prior to the time when the chartering business shifted to Transchart. The Company ventured into the Chartering of Gas Carriers in 1975.

Today, the Company is headed by Mr. Ajay Reshamwala, who has about 45 years of experience as a shipbroker.

Over the years, a dedicated team of shipbrokers and operations personnel has helped establish the Company's reputation as one of India's leading ship-brokering firms.