‘The failure of India’s shipping,’ we are informed, ‘was not caused by the non-existence of her marine engineering industry … Nor did shipowners demonstrate a lack of managerial skills or experience specific difficulties in manning and running their fleets … The basic cause of the lamentable position of Indian shipping … was the formidable opposition they encountered from the major British companies operating in Indian waters’—companies that enjoyed a practical monopoly, to which they would brook no challenge or competition.
