Sumati Morarjee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sumati Morarjee
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| Born |
Jamuna
13 March 1909 |
| Died | 27 June 1998 (aged 89) |
| Known for | Scindia Steam Navigation Company |
| Spouse(s) | Shanti Kumar Narottam Morarjee |
| Awards | Padma Vibhushan (1971) |
Sumati Morarjee (born March 13, 1909 – died June 27, 1998) was a very important woman in Indian shipping. She was even called the "first woman of Indian shipping." She made history by becoming the first woman in the world to lead a group of ship owners. This group, called the Indian National Shipowners Association, was usually led by men.
In 1971, she received the Padma Vibhushan. This is the second highest award a civilian can get in India. She earned it for her great work in public service.
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Early Life and Family
Sumati Morarjee was born into a rich family in Bombay. Her parents were Mathuradas Goculdas and Premabai. Sumati was first named Jamuna. This name came from a holy river linked to Krishna in Vrindavan.
When she was still young, she married Shanti Kumar Narottam Morarjee. This was common at the time in India. Shanti Kumar was the only son of Narottam Morarjee. Narottam Morarjee founded the Scindia Steam Navigation Company. This company later became India's biggest shipping business.
Leading a Shipping Company
Sumati joined the company's management team in 1923. She was only 14 years old then. She helped the company grow from having just a few ships. By 1946, she was fully in charge of the company. She managed over six thousand people.
She was already on the board of directors. She had gained a lot of knowledge about shipping over many years. Because of her amazing skills, she was chosen as the president of the Indian National Steamship Owners' Association. She held this role in 1956, for the next two years, and again in 1965. Under her leadership, the company grew to have 43 ships. These ships could carry a total of 552,000 tonnes of goods.
From 1979 to 1987, Sumati was the chairperson of the company. The government then took over the company because it had many debts. After that, she was named chairperson emeritus until 1992.
Friendship with Mahatma Gandhi
Sumati Morarjee stayed in touch with Mahatma Gandhi often. They met many times, and their talks were written about in newspapers. Mahatma Gandhi considered her one of his closest friends. From 1942 to 1946, she worked with him in the secret movement for Independence from British rule.
Key Accomplishments
Sumati Morarjee achieved many important things:
- She started the Sumati Vidya Kendra School in Juhu, Mumbai.
- In 1965, she gave a free one-way trip to Swami Prabhupada. He was the founder of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness).
- She was elected as vice-president of the World Shipping Federation in London in 1970.
- She led the Narottam Morarjee Institute of Shipping as its chairperson.
- She played a big part in helping Sindhis move from Pakistan during the Partition of India.
- She helped create a good example for modern Indian shipping companies. She shared not only business ideas but also helped spread ideas about Indian culture and heritage around the world.
It is not purely for business motives that we today concentrate on shipping. We want our people to travel abroad and the foreigners to see our ancient land. It has been the Indian tradition to export the best to foreign countries. We did business in merchandise for centuries, but our most precious cargo has been ideas of universal brotherhood and deep spirituality. . . . Our tradition of such transcendent goodwill to all has continued throughout.
—Sumati Morarjee
Death
Sumati Morarjee passed away on June 27, 1998. She was 89 years old. Her death was caused by a cardiac arrest.
