PIONEER EDGE EDGE NEWS SERVICE
Over 15,000 Indian seafarers are believed to remain stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the practical difficulties involved in moving merchant navy officers and junior crews out of a conflict-affected maritime zone. Since the US-Israeli war on Iran, cargo ships have come under repeated attack in and around the Strait of Hormuz, with Indian seafarers among those killed and injured. The International Maritime Organisation has recorded 46 attacks on commercial shipping since the conflict began in February 2026. According to data released by the government, 16 Indian nationals have died in conflict-related incidents, including 10 seafarers, while 75 Indians have been injured.
It is a challenging situation for Indian as well as global ship management companies that are primarily into the business of ‘managing ships’. Ship management is a comprehensive commercial, technical and operational oversight of maritime ships by specialised third-party companies or internal management teams on behalf of ship-owners. It ensures that fleets remain safe, seaworthy and regulatory compliant while optimising operational expenses and cargo efficiency.
Bjorn Hojgaard, the chief executive officer of Anglo-Eastern Univan Group, one of the world’s largest third-party ship management companies based in Hong-Kong and a major employer of Indian seafarers, said, “We now operate in a period defined by fragmentation and uncertainty. Geopolitics has returned to the centre of commercial decision-making. Strategic waterways can become contested almost overnight. Sanctions are no longer rare instruments of statecraft but recurring features of global trade.”
He said that ship management is ultimately an information business. ‘Global Security Desk’ of Anglo-Eastern Univan Group is another expression of this broader philosophy. Security risk in shipping is no longer confined to a few well-defined high-risk maritime areas like the Strait of Hormuz. It is shaped by geopolitics, sanctions, electronic warfare, cyber exposure and the speed at which regional situations evolve. In such an environment, the challenge is no longer obtaining information. There is an abundance of information. The main challenge is interpretation: understanding what matters, for which vessel, on which voyage, carrying which cargo, in which political context and deciding what action should follow immediately. These initiatives are all investments in organisational capability. They are intended to reduce uncertainty. They are rooted in the belief that quality ship management must evolve without losing its core. The purpose of ship management has not changed. It remains to safeguard lives, protect assets and enable global trade.
