Capt Rajesh Unni receives India’s Highest Maritime Honour
NEW DELHI : Captain Rajesh Unni, founder of Synergy Marine Group, has been honoured with the National Maritime Varuna Award—India’s highest individual recognition in the maritime sector—by the Government of India, during the 62nd National Maritime Day celebrations held on 5 April 2025.
The award was presented in Mumbai by Shri Shyam Jagannathan, IAS, Director General of Shipping and Chairman of the National Maritime Day Celebrations (Central) Committee, during the official ceremony commemorating India’s rich and enduring maritime legacy.
The National Maritime Varuna Award recognises sustained and extraordinary contributions that have significantly shaped the country’s maritime landscape.
Accepting the award with gratitude and humility, Captain Unni reflected on his journey and paid tribute to the wider maritime fraternity: “This honour reflects not just one person’s work, but the shared commitment of every seafarer, colleague and mentor who has walked this journey with me. I am deeply grateful for the privilege of serving the shipping industry—a sector that has given me everything: opportunities, lifelong learning, and the chance to contribute meaningfully to the lives of others. If this award inspires even a few youngsters to consider a life at sea or reminds us of what we can achieve when we work together, then it has served its greatest purpose.”
Looking ahead, he continued: “I hope we can keep on with building a maritime world that champions human sustainability—one that is inclusive, empowering and anchored in high standards. Our seafaring and shore-based professionals are capable of far more than operating ships—we can help design, build and optimise them, and we can lead the future of shipping. The true opportunity lies in how we use technology to drive systemic impact—enhancing efficiency, empowering seafarers, and strengthening resilient supply chains that support the global economy.”
Over the past two decades, Synergy Marine Group has played a key role in reshaping the global footprint of ship management—bringing technical and operational expertise closer to India and away from traditional centres such as Hong Kong, Glasgow, and Singapore. Through its centres of excellence in Chennai, Mumbai, Cochin, Pune and Noida, Synergy has contributed significantly to generating diverse, high-value employment and advancing India’s status as a trusted global hub for maritime services.
This recognition comes at a pivotal moment for Indian shipping, as the Government of India accelerates maritime reform in line with its USD 5 trillion economy vision. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has announced plans to complete 150 critical infrastructure projects by September 2025. Key initiatives include the development of India’s first coastal green shipping corridor between Kandla and Tuticorin, increased investment in inland water transport—particularly across key National Waterways—and the expansion of domestic shipbuilding capacity. Additionally, the Government has proposed a Maritime Development Fund of approximately USD 3 billion (₹25,000 crore) to support shipbuilding and ship repair. Together, these efforts reflect a strategic and long-term commitment to positioning India as a global maritime leader.
India’s growing leadership in digital innovation—particularly in sectors like artificial intelligence and multilingual accessibility through initiatives such as the IndiaAI Mission and Digital India Bhashini—offers a compelling framework for inclusive, technology-enabled transformation. These national efforts complement the maritime sector’s push toward smart shipping, operational efficiency, and human-centred design.
As a maritime nation, India stands at a highly promising inflection point. With a mix of policy foresight, public-private collaboration, and sustained investment in people, the country is well positioned to lead in areas such as sustainable shipping, digital transformation, and global supply chain resilience.
Jesper Kristensen, Synergy’s Group CEO, reaffirmed the Group’s alignment with India’s maritime ambitions: “We see India as central to the future of global shipping, and as the largest third-party ship manager of Indian-flagged vessels, we are proud to contribute as much as we can to that journey.”
“At Synergy, we remain committed to aligning our technical, operational and human capital strengths with the country’s long-term maritime priorities—particularly in areas such as ship design, newbuilding supervision, technical management, digitalisation and decarbonisation R&D, and advancing human sustainability,”
“We are also pleased to serve as a worldwide platform for promoting Indian maritime expertise and innovation on the global stage,” he added.
The National Maritime Varuna Award is presented annually as part of India’s National Maritime Day celebrations, which honour the country’s rich maritime heritage. The occasion commemorates the historic voyage of S.S. Loyalty—the first Indian-owned ship to sail internationally under the Indian flag—widely regarded as the symbolic beginning of modern Indian shipping.
About Synergy Marine Group
Synergy Marine Group is renowned for its through-life asset management approach and innovative partnership strategies with leading shipowners. Managing over 700 vessels, including LNG carriers, LPG vessels and container ships, Synergy employs more than 28,000 seafarers across its global network. With a focus on crew wellbeing, digitalisation and sustainability, Synergy is redefining the ship management landscape.
For more information, visit https://www.synergymarinegroup.com/