Shri Kishinchand Chellaram, launched a small retail textile business in Madras (now Chennai), India laying the foundations of Kishinchand Chellaram Group.
"The harder I worked, more opportunities came my way."
- Shri Kishinchand Chellaram, 1880 - 1951
The company opened the doors of its first overseas office in Yokohama Japan, spearheading a series of international trading depots throughout Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Gambia.
Shri Kishinchand Chellaram with management and staff of Kishinchand Chellaram Yokohama office.
The Kishinchand Chellaram Group grew to be one of the leading trading houses in West Africa, Europe and Asia with over 50 branches across four continents.
Shri Kishinchand Chellaram and Lokumal K Chellaram in Lagos, 1936.
Under the Chairmanship of Lokumal K. Chellaram, the business diversified into dry-bulk shipping with the establishment of its flagship company Kishinchand Chellaram Maritime Agencies Ltd. The company took delivery of its first vessel “Darya Lok” in the same year.
Lokumal K Chellaram, Chairman of Kishinchand Chellaram Maritime Agencies Ltd., with Derek Kimber, Managing Director of Sunderland Shipbuilders at delivery of a vessel in 1981
The Company added to the fleet, two panamax bulk carrier vessels from Samsung Heavy Industries, South Korea, taking delivery in 1996.
Following a corporate restructuring of the Group in 1999, KC Maritime was established under the Chairmanship of Sham L. Chellaram to consolidate the Group's shipping activities.
KC Maritime fleet grew by taking delivery of three new panamax vessels from Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Japan between 1999 and 2001.
Further expanding its fleet size, KC Maritime was at the time one of only a handful of International Ship Owners to build ships in China by ordering four Panamax size vessels from Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding, China, between 2003 and 2004.
KC Maritime diversified into project vessel business which mainly catered to customers who required specialised vessels for their iron ore / coal and aggregate cargoes. Specialised self-unloading vessels were designed and constructed to maximise efficiency for customers in the Middle – East for their aggregate cargoes. As part of “close – to – customer” approach, we set up an office In Dubai in 2006 to service the contracts and serve customers more efficiently.
With a new structure under the Chairmanship of Sham L. Chellaram, there was further expansion into the offshore marine logistics sector with the formation of Chellsea, headquartered in Singapore to specialize in Platform Supply Vessels.
KC Maritime fleet grew by five more vessels, by taking delivery of new Kamsarmax size vessels, from Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company, South Korea and Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries, Romania, between 2011 to 2013.
In the process of expansion, KC Maritime entered a JV with a reputed Bank to manage dry bulk vessels.
The company took delivery of four new Ultramax vessels from COSCO (Zhoushan) shipyard between 2015 and 2018. KCM also took delivery of one Kamsarmax vessel from COSCO (Dalian) Shipyard.
Gautam S Chellaram took over as the Chairman of the Company in 2020. After an organization restructuring, he led the new management team to formulate the growth strategy of the company. With this change, KC Maritime is set on a fresh path of sustainability and growth.
KC Maritime looks to expand the fleet with two 63,600-dwt Ultramax New Buildings ordered with Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry Zhoushan (Cosco Zhoushan) which are expected to be delivered between the second half of 2023 and first half of 2024. The vessels will comply with the International Maritime Organization’s Phase 3 standards of the Energy Efficiency Design Index.
With a growing fleet of modern Kamsarmax and Ultramax bulk carriers, KC Maritime is committed in providing top-class services in the dry-bulk segment under the Chairmanship of Gautam S. Chellaram.
Chairman
Gautam S. Chellaram is the Chairman of KC Maritime, a family owned business managing a fleet of dry bulk carriers, headquartered in Hong Kong.
Prior to that, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chellsea, managing a fleet of Platform Supply Vessels in the Offshore Oil & Gas sector headquartered in Singapore.
Gautam is a special advisor to SSRVM founded by Sri Sri Ravishankar as the educational wing of the Art of Living. He is also involved in philanthropic activities for the Kishinchand Chellaram Foundation.
Gautam holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Hofstra University, New York.
Non-Executive Director
Around 40 years of experience in shipping industry in various leadership roles, Tim is currently the Chairman and CEO of Mandarin Shipping, Hong Kong. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and a former Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association.
Non-Executive Director
Maren is currently the Chief Financial Officer for the Wallem Group, a privately owned maritime solution service provider in Hong Kong. She has held leadership positions in both publicly listed multi-national companies, including Raytheon and Schneider Electric, as well as privately held companies spanning Asia, Europe, and the United States. She holds an MBA from Oxford University Saϊd Business School and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M University.
Non-Executive Director
Over 17 years of experience in shipping and real estate, Vikram is the CEO of Mordril Properties, Hong Kong. He served as Managing Director of KC Maritime FZE in Dubai from 2004 to 2010, leading a strategy focused on dry-bulk shipping logistics for self-unloaders for aggregates, cement, and iron ore in India and the Gulf.
Vice President - Technical
Abhijit Ghosh is a highly accomplished maritime executive and innovation leader, combining decades of sea-going and shore-based experience with deep strengths in project management, fleet optimisation, and regulatory compliance. A gold medallist Mechanical Engineer with an MBA in Finance and Banking, PMP certification, and advanced qualifications in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science from MIT and UC Berkeley, he is recognised as a visionary, chartered and professional engineer who designs and delivers transformative, technology-driven solutions that enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability across modern shipping fleets.
Chief Financial Officer
Athanasios is a Fellow of ACCA (UK) and ICS and a London Business School MBA graduate. He has over 17 years of experience in Finance roles in the Shipping Industry, in Athens, Dubai and Hong Kong.
Vice President - Commercial
Patrick has over 13 years of experience across the Pacific and Atlantic dry bulk markets, with a strong track record in chartering strategy, freight optimisation and commercial leadership. He has led multi million tonne cargo programmes, developed exclusive customer accounts, and strengthened owner earnings through data driven deployment and disciplined risk management.
