• Founder and Executive Chairman Captain Rajesh Unni lauded for significantly advancing maritime technology and  “championing and achieving decarbonisation”
• World’s third largest ship manager also praised for its “technical and operational performance, bunker operations, sustainability, technology innovation and future readiness to manage net-zero ships” at Informa’s Marine Fuels 360 Awards

Synergy Marine Group, the world’s third largest ship manager with a diverse fleet of over 640 vessels, was honoured with two major awards at the Informa Marine Fuels 360 Awards, hosted at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, 28-29 November.

Synergy Marine Group, which employs over 25,000 seafarers, picked up the Ship Manager of the Year Award for 2023. In reaching their decision, the judges evaluated a range of company criteria including leadership, technical and operational performance, bunker operations, sustainability, technology innovation and future readiness to manage net-zero ships.

Ajay Chaudhry, Co-CEO of Synergy Marine Group’s Ship Management division, commented, “At Synergy we provide the highest quality ship management services to a worldwide industry ‘who’s who’ of owners, covering all vessel types from handysize bulkers to the most complex LNG-FSU conversions. Our owners know that we marry operational excellence with technical innovation, and they value close technical partnerships to help them navigate the many regulatory and technical hurdles, especially in advancing the net-zero transformation. I’d like to thank the organisers and judges for kindly recognising Synergy’s achievements in these areas.”

Captain Rajesh Unni, Synergy Marine Group Founder and Executive Chairman, said he was honoured to receive the annual Lifetime Achievement designed by Informa Marine Fuels 360. Informa said the Award was developed as a means of honouring “individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to shipping and the bunkering industry in Asia”.

Captain Unni commented, “I am deeply grateful and humbled to receive this prestigious Award at this inaugural event, especially here in Singapore, a global maritime hub which has been central to all we’ve achieved at Synergy Marine Group. It is a significant acknowledgment of our endeavours and underscores our commitment to impactful advancement of technologies and to nurturing continued, determined and sustainable progress.”

A statement from Informa said, “The recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award is a luminary in the maritime sector. At the forefront of the world’s third largest ship management company, his commitment to innovation and sustainability has reshaped our industry.

“Central amid the ground-breaking merger between Alpha Ori Technologies, a firm he founded, and green innovators and facilitators ZeroNorth, he has significantly advanced maritime technology, championing and also achieving decarbonisation in a great many ways. His dedication extends beyond professional achievements and includes profound philanthropic work, particularly through the Mauna Dhwani Foundation, which has immeasurably improved the lives of over 1,000 families in remote, rural India. His approach embodies the comprehensive vision of a sustainable and responsible maritime future, to which he has, indeed, dedicated his whole working life.”

Captain HS Swaminathan, Co-CEO of Synergy Marine Group’s Ship Management division and a company stalwart who has worked alongside Captain Unni since he founded the company in 2006, added, “Through his commitment to innovation and best practice, Captain Unni has built up the Synergy Marine Group, ship by ship, into a global maritime leader across many fields. I am delighted that he has received this Award, which spotlights his achievements. It is richly deserved by a friend and colleague with deep commitment to the society and people whom he serves with humility and passion.”