Interview of the week – Khimji Ramdas Shipping – Oman

Rajesh was born in Kochi, Kerala, India. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Shipping. He has been in the shipping industry for 20 years and from 2006 he is actively involved in projects. Rajesh joined Khimji Ramdas Shipping in 2015 and he is now General Manager.

His motto in life:
If you don’t go after what you want, you will never have it !

Tell us about Khimji Ramdas Shipping. Who owns the company?

Established in 1870, Khimji Ramdas is one of the oldest trading houses in the Sultanate. A fully Omani owned entity, it is today a conglomerate with multifarious activities. From its modest beginning as a trading house, Khimji Ramdas has kept pace with the swiftly changing needs of a developing nation. Today, its diverse activities permeate the very fabric of life in Oman, providing essential goods and services of high quality.

Four clusters were formed by the company to accommodate 50+ different profit centers. Projects & Logistics Cluster is one of the four groups of the company.  

Khimji Ramdas Shipping LLC (KRS), a part of Projects & Logistics Cluster, offers diverse transport related services under one roof.

Where are your offices located?

We have offices in Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, Sur, Khasab, Shinas, Suwaiq & Duqm.
 
We also maintain support offices in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah. 

Which is Khimji Ramdas Shipping (KRS) specialty and service range?

KRS are one of the leading shipping agents in Oman representing world renowned Cruise Lines, Bulk, Tanker Owners, NVOCC’s, Freight Forwarders, Insurance Companies, Navies, Ship Chandelling Agencies etc. 

KRS is arguably the largest shipping service provider in Oman today. 

Tell us about projects that you have handled recently.

We are currently undertaking a very interesting movement of “assembled rig packages”. The heaviest package weighs about 420T with dimensions of 37x12x13m (lxbxh). There are 2 other packages, which are of similar size but weigh about 250T each. These need to be moved on a multimodal basis from UAE to Central (about 8 days of barging and roughly 500kms of road haulage). Interestingly, we would have to block one of the major roads in Dubai (Sheikh Zayed Road) to allow for the passage. The intricacies and complexities of the move make it a very interesting one.

We are currently in the pre ops phase, with the movement planned for later this month.

Are there any tricky points one should consider when planning a project cargo movement in Oman?

Over the years, Oman has steadily progressed in the “Logistics Performance Index”. The Government has taken stupendous efforts in ensuring that “ease of doing business” remains the underlying theme. This has also been reflected in planning and execution of Project Cargo movement. With the requests for permissions (escort, OOG, route modification etc.) now being facilitated through an online platform, the process has certainly become quicker. The roads criss crossing Oman also are world class.

The most important aspect that would need to be considered is the disport. With 3 major ports and 6 minor ports / jetties to choose from, this part gains significance. With the right choice, the entire Logistics solution would turn out to be hassle free and cost effective. 

With our Team of experienced professionals managing all facets of the project execution, we ensure that all operations, including the selection of the right disport / jetty, are made based on careful considerations of all related aspects. 

What is your advantage against competition? Why do you stand out?

KRS is arguably the biggest player and possibly the only one offering end to end solutions, in the said scale, in the Sultanate. This automatically turns into a distinct advantage which is hard to ignore.

Also: 

• We are a dominant player in the market for over 35 years in terms of Vessel Agency, handling the most number of vessels calling Omani Ports, ranging from Bulk, Break Bulk, Tanks, to Cruise Vessel and Navy Vessels.
• Own Customs Clearance done in-house for Air, Sea and Road shipments within Oman. We are one of the largest Custom Brokers within the country.
• A large fleet of Trucks and Trailers running the length and breadth of the country, specified to the highest safety standards for the Oil & Gas customers of Oman.
• Access to a network of specialized Heavy Lift Logistics companies around the world through THLG, giving End To End solutions
• A purpose suit application (software), traversing all the requirements of internal and external clients

Backed by an experienced professional team comprising of over 250 expatriates & nationals, KRS offers timely services & meets every requirements of our clients. This makes us your ideal “one stop shop” Freight Management Solutions provider in Oman.

What made you join the industry?

I was born in a port city (Kochi in Kerala State, India), so exposure to ships and to the Industry (through family and friends who were in the Industry) was all but natural. The initial formal foray into the industry brought in an understanding that the Industry is very dynamic. This necessitated a capacity to be constantly adapting to change, while keeping in mind the basic requirements and the varied compliance aspects.

The rush of adrenalin that I have experience by being in the Industry is very addictive and I have never ventured out to seek experience in any other Industry ever since! 2021 marks the completion of 2 decades in the Industry and am eagerly looking forward to another 2 decades!!  

What was the impact that COVID-19 brought to your business?

Over the past years KRS have been developing a customized tech platform. Based on Oracle and incorporating features like Cloud storage, dual password protection etc., the system christened “Neatmove” has been in the works for about 4+ years, with each feature being developed, tested, integrated etc. The sudden onset of Covid gave us a real time platform to assess the system on al fronts – access from remote stations, seamless connectivity across Divisions and with Port & Customs Authorities, continuous and interrupted Client Services etc.

We are very happy that the application has performed exceedingly well. This lean towards technology has increased our productivity & kept our clients happy ! So, we are happy that we have a positive “take home” from the otherwise drab pandemic scenario. 

As a part of our “Commitment to Society” we are now actively gearing up for the distribution of the vaccines from Q1 2021, in co-operation with the Ministry of Health.

Who should be approached in Kimji Ramdas Shipping for inquiries?

Please feel free to reach out to any of our Team members, including Dharm & myself, for any information required.

Khimji Ramdas Shipping, a THLG network partner and your ideal Freight Management Solution provider in Oman.