Mr. Arun Kumar Gupta

Arun Kumar Gupta is the former Chairman & Managing Director of The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. (SCI), the national shipping line and a Navratna PSU. He was instrumental in dramatic turnaround of the Company in 2014, which had been suffering losses for three consecutive years.

On his superannuation from SCI on 31st December 2015, Ministry of Shipping appointed him as the Managing Director of India Ports Global Ltd (IPGL) on 1st January 2016.

IPGL is a Company formed in January 2015 and is an extended arm of the Government of India to make investments in Ports overseas.  As the first task IPGL was entrusted to undertake the strategic Port Project at Chabahar, in Islamic Republic of Iran.

 Mr Gupta has been responsible for the critical Contract negotiations with the Iranian side which led to its signing during Hon. Prime Minister visit to Iran in May 2016. Thereafter he spearheaded the commencement of India’s first overseas port operations at Chabahar in December 2018.

A Marine Engineer from Directorate of Marine Engineering and Training (1972-76), he possesses First Class Engineer (MOTOR) Certificate of Competency from Government of India.

 He is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Marine Engineers (India), Member of Narottam Morarji Institute of Shipping and also has the membership of The Institution of Engineers (India) as well as Indian Arbitration Council. Informatively Mr Gupta is the current Chairman of Institute of Marine Engineers (India), Mumbai Branch.

He has earlier served as a Trustee of Kandla, Tuticorin and Cochin Ports.

He has been on the Board of several entities of the maritime industry.

He is in the panel of Advisors of Union Public Service Commission.

He has also been associated with a number of committees related to the marine field, including as a panel member of Mumbai University for finalising syllabus for post graduate degree courses in maritime studies.

Overall Mr Gupta has over 45 years of experience in Port and Shipping sector, including 12 years at the Board level.

Due to his immense domain experience, presently Mr Gupta is serving as Advisor and also as a Director on the Board of several Private and Public sector Companies.

Presently he is Director with Dredging Corporation of India Ltd and Jubilant Ship management Company.

He has also been appointed by Central Vigilance Commission as Independent External Monitor in the following PSUs:

Numaligarh Refinery Ltd

Hindustan Organic Ltd