A distinguished professional, Ashutosh Gujarathi is the CEO of the Gujarathi Empire Group of Companies, a group active in Road Transportation, ship chartering and brokering, and Information Technology, and more. As an ex-Merchant Navy officer and Class IV Marine Engineer, he demonstrates strong skills in managing cross-functional teams and leadership. Recognizing his exceptional performance, Ashutosh Gujarathi has even been listed among the Top 100 CEOs of India.
The Beginning
An ex-merchant navy officer, Ashutosh Gujarathi, graduated with a B.Tech in Marine Engineering and achieved a Class IV Merchant Navy Officer license. His career trajectory has been marked by many ups and downs, which Ashutosh believes are an inevitable part of life. With the demise of his father, he had to lead the family transportation business at an early age, which turned into a life-changing moment for him.
Moreover, his strong background in NCC and para-military training alongside his academic endeavours, has equipped Ashutosh with time management and strong leadership qualities.
Evolution of the Business
Gujarathi Empire started back in 2016 as a small business with Ashutosh and his cousin, which, over the years, has changed multiple industries, right from exports of agro products to a restaurant chain, and currently, it is back in the sector of maritime. “We always keep on learning, trying to come up with innovative ideas, in our traditional business of ship brokering, chartering, and commodity trading,” Ashutosh Gujarathi reflects.
Gujarathi Empire holds long-term vessel supply contracts with multiple companies and PSUs, with investors from Switzerland, the USA, Greece, and Dubai, and with a backup of more than 50 million USD in operating and trading. Ashutosh and his team have done more than 1 million tonnes of rock boulder shipments from Kakinada or Tuticorin to Male.
Each month, the team places vessels for rice business from India to West Africa and East Africa for 3-star and 5-star export houses. Ashutosh shares proudly that Gujarathi Empire is one of the top shipping companies when it comes to bulk shipping from India. He mentions, “We have 2 years before we introduce the sale and purchase and tanker division with us.”
The group has shipped over 300K metric tonnes of bagged rice since 2021 and, before that, shipped 1 million tonnes of coal to India from Indonesia, South Africa, and Australia.
Moreover, Gujarathi Group does their CSR Activities under Kumar Gujarathi Foundation, where they donate 10% of each vessel for the education and food and basic needs of deprived students.
Regional Presence of the Gujarathi Empire
In the Maritime ecosystem, Gujarathi Empire is one of the pioneers who brought commercial shipping short courses for the first time in India, ensuring that the ongoing seafarers stay updated with the sector. The company also publishes its freight market report every week to guide how the market is moving towards the clients, traders, and other associates in the industry. “So we are kind of educating the ecosystem with us, and this is easy to talk about, but difficult to handle that responsibility all the time. But, Gujarathi Empire is doing well and maintains its brand value and standard so far with a young and expert team,” Ashutosh Gujarathi comments.
Defining Success in the Maritime Sector
Ashutosh Gujarathi believes that smartness and awareness of what is going on in the surrounding area, keeping close watch and monitoring geopolitical tensions and trends, is paramount for success in shipping. Moreover, consistency and availability for clients and traders are also small requirements all the time.
Ashutosh Gujarathi explains, “You need to interpret the large data you have access to and get what you want from it because after all, each deal is worth a million dollars and you should have basic trust and respect for each other’s time and commitment.”
Adaptability Amidst Tech-Driven Changes
Gujarathi Empire is currently working on AI-based software and looking forward to finding out how it gets deemed fit for a company like this, which works in a very niche and technical market and always has to access large amounts of data. But system-wise, the company is Objective Key Results, and proper SOP is implemented so the team can easily take on new additional projects and implement them within a time frame.
Insights of an Expert
Navigating the young professionals who are on a similar path as Ashutosh Gujarathi, he shares, “Every business requires patience and courage after all, and if you are working in a traditional business like us, then you need much more of it. So, before establishing, it’s better to ask yourself if you are ready to grind yourself for the next 3-4 years without giving up on anything. The second challenge is that there are lots of entry barriers, so it is better to be with someone who can guide and assist you at the initial stage and be well-versed in the technical knowledge required by the industry.
Many people think ship brokering and chartering is just an online business but it’s really not like that, so having to go face to face with people and proving yourself with execution capabilities is the most important thing.”
To gain industry insights connect with Ashutosh Gujarathi on LinkedIn, and visit https://www.gujarathiempire.co.
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