The Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) has established an advisory committee in Singapore in a bid to expand its footprint in Southeast Asia.
The committee, comprising members from leading maritime and offshore companies based in Singapore, will help IRClass strengthen its ties with the maritime community in the region.
The committee will meet on a quarterly basis with focus on educating the markets not only on classification capability, but also on other services offered by the IRClass.
“In our relatively short existence to date, we have gone some way beyond the simple provision of classification services. We continue to invest heavily in training, inspections, design appraisal, and quality certification, including business advisory services,” said Arun Sharma, chairman and managing director of IRClass.
The committee will also provide practical solutions to challenges faced by shipowners.
Sharma notes that the advisory committee has plans to open offices in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines in the near future.
IRClass has so far classified nearly 1,700 ships, including oil tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers, and chemical tankers, totalling approximately 11 million gross register tonnage. By 2020, the class society targets to double that amount.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.