Haresh Dhakan founded his custom house agency in May 1988. Now, it is one of the premier names in the business.

Learning the basics

For Mr Dhakan the shipping and logistics industry was not new when he decided to float his own company, Sai Shipping Services Pvt Ltd. He had grown up on a regular dose of discussions about the trends, developments and business strategies that prevailed in the shipping industry from his father, a well known shipping agent in Mumbai.

He started off very early on in his life, and has gone on to achieve an appreciable position in the shipping and logistics business in India. Speaking about his humble beginnings, Mr Dhakan says, “When I was young I had seen my father working as a shipping agent, and was highly impressed by the challenging task and excitement that it offered. In the initial years I joined my father to work hands-on to gain more knowledge about the business and became familiar with the sector before taking the decision of starting my own company.”

Tackling competition methodically

As a young entrepreneur it was not easy for Mr Dhakan, especially since the market was quite competitive. He explains, “Being a new entrant in the sector, it was extremely difficult for me to convince the big, reputed corporate houses and even the small and medium enterprises. But with our quality of service, meticulous co-ordination and work experience, we eventually overcame the high waves that came our way.”

The most daunting challenge for Mr Dhakan was to survive the clever business moves of big competitors. “However, with our in-depth knowledge and professional approach, we conquered that too.” explains Mr Dhakan.

Guided by personal rules

Having been attached with the profession from his early age, Mr Dhakan had ample opportunities to learn the rules that guided the sector. But he was quick enough to create his own rules, to guide his company towards success. Speaking about his business strategy, Mr Dhakan states, “Today, everyone is looking for a single window facility. So I decided to bring the total logistics support that includes import, export, transportation, warehousing, freight forwarding, central excise, octroi, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and insurance, under one single umbrella.”

Speaking about his latest business move, he says, “I believe that it is always advantageous to start early. The Special Economic Zone (SEZ) concept is still unknown to many in this sector, and we are the only one in Mumbai to do it entirely, from documentation to customs to bonding.”

Foreseeing the future

Sai Shipping, which started with the support of 2-3 importers, has grown to become one of the reputed licensed Custom House Agents (CHA), having more than 19 branch offices in important cities in India. Sai Shipping handles more than 50000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) import/export by sea and 500 tons by air per annum.

Mr Dhakan wants to lead his company to newer shores. His intentions are quite clear when he says, “I would like to see Sai Shipping venturing into a new avenue, and I can foresee a Cargo Freight Station (CFS) owned and operated by the company with its own equipment to help local shippers considerably.”