IRClass Makes New Appointments in Singapore, London

Narayanan Shankar joins as Senior Vice President of Business Development in Singapore.

Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) has announced in an emailed statement new appointments in Singapore and London, UK, as well as a promotion in Mumbai, India.

The Independent ship classification society said the appointments are part of its "strategic plan to expand its capabilities and geographical reach", and allow the society to offer a more diverse range of auditing and compliance solutions.

In Singapore, Narayanan Shankar, the former Chief Executive of Singapore based Vinsight Maritime (S) Pte Ltd, joins as Senior Vice President of Business Development, and will co-direct business development and strategy with Anil Devli, IRClass' Chief Operating Officer (Commercial).

Praveen Kumar Mishra has been appointed as Vice President of IRClass in London. He is also the member of the Statutory Panel (Environment) of International Association of Classification Society (IACS) and the Chairman of the Ballast Water Management working group of the Association of Asian Classification Societies.

Finally, Ravi Kiron Kalra has been promoted to Head of Safety from his previous role as Senior Principal Surveyor in IRClass based in Mumbai.

"I am pleased to have professionals of this calibre on board with IRClass and I believe that with their years of experience and expertise; they will help us move forward as we internationalise and embrace new markets," commented Devli.

"In this competitive market, I strongly believe IRClass is well-placed to seize any opportunities that come its way and with constant innovation and improvements; it will become one of the top classification societies in the world."

Earlier this year, Mishra proposed a mobile system for treating ballast water, saying it could help shipowners comply with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)'s Ballast Water Management Convention.