of business, with its fleet split between the two countries. No one was seen to cry over the loss.
The Irano Hind Shipping Co. was never a major player. It owns only eight ships. It was a political creation from before the revolution in 1974 when Mohammad Reza Shah and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India decided to demonstrate their friendship with the joint shipping line.
Surprisingly, it survived the revolution and has continued in operation for more than third of a century—until now.
The line is owned 51 percent by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL) and 49 percent by India’s state shipping firm. IRISL has been subjected to US, UN and EU sanctions.
The top Indian executive of the joint firm said last Wednesday it was too difficult to function under sanctions. “Irano Hind will cease operation,” said Sabya-sachi Hajara, managing director of the Shipping Corp. of India.
Shashank Kulkarni, secretary general of the Indian Private Ports and Terminals Association, said, “Irano Hind was more of a political baby. The sanctions have in a way helped to discontinue it. Business-wise it didn’t matter much to Shipping Corp. of India.”
It was suggested that SCI might be happy to see Irano Hind die because it can now distance itself from Iran, as many Indian firms operating internationally prefer to do.