1 |
I am Sumati Morarjee. I am representing the Scindia Steam Navigation Company, we are one of the largest shipping companies in India. We are looking for a business partner. |
2 |
I am looking to expand our fleet. I was wondering if you would be willing to sell us some of your older vessels. Right now we can’t afford to buy new ships. Our options are limited. |
3 |
I am pleased that we can work together. Right now, our company is concentrating on the trade between Europe and India. But with your help, we could expand even further. |
4 |
Our fleet consists of twelve steamships. They are not the youngest vessels and need some maintenance. Perhaps you could help us with that too. |
5 |
You are invited to our headquarters in Mumbai. There we can discuss further cooperation and sign the deal. After, we can enjoy a traditional Indian meal. I hope you don’t mind spicy food. |
6 |
We would also like to improve the skills of the crew we use for our ships. I heard only the best about your sailors. Would they be available for a few training sessions? We will make it worth their time. |
7 |
We have made a deal with a company from Australia. We will be shipping their cargo from India to Europe. The journey from Australia to Mumbai will be covered by your ships. |
8 |
Apart from managing our shipping company I try to help the less fortunate too. Right now, I am building a school. If you are interested in helping, I will tell you more about it. |
9 |
I was born into a wealthy family and married my husband when I was 13. He is the heir of the Scindia Company. We never lacked money but I find it important to help those that were not so lucky. |
10 |
We have expanded our fleet by purchasing more older vessels. They need some repairs before we can start using them. Can you get us the necessary materials for the repairs? |
11 |
I am organizing a collection of food for the orphanages in Mumbai. It would be nice of you if you could contribute something. We will be distributing the food by couriers so just bring it to me now. |
12 |
My friend, Mahatma Gandhi, has heard about your help concerning my charity. He is impressed and would like to meet you. Maybe you could help us in another cause too. |
13 |
We are trying to win independence for India. Gandhi is the figure person for our endeavor but there are many of us who stand behind him. But we could still use more people on our side. |
14 |
You have a lot of connections in Europe. We want to avoid violence and improve the living conditions of people in India. Many people starve and live in oppression. It’s time for a change. |
15 |
There is a business matter I want to speak with you about. A motor ship is for sale. This new technology is said to be groundbreaking. It’s expensive but with a loan, we could add her to our fleet. |
16 |
This new type of vessel is powered by fuel. We have not had such a ship before so I don’t have connections to obtain this material. Can you recommend a supplier? |
17 |
Our company is getting bigger and we have now more than 3000 employees. We will need a bigger office soon. It would be nice to have a completely new building close to the port. |
18 |
You remember the school we were building? The construction is finally complete. Right now I am looking for some chairs and tables. Then we will be ready to welcome the first students. |
19 |
Our company has been buying off smaller shipping firms. Our fleet is now made up of 43 vessels. We will need to hire new sailors to man all those ships. |
20 |
The Sumati Vidya Kendra School will be open for students tomorrow. These are children from poor families and can’t afford to buy school uniforms. So we will have a uniform made for each child. |
21 |
I also plan to provide free lunches for the children. Something healthy and nutritious like fish curry. I used to eat it all the time as a child. If you take care to remove the bones, it is a fantastic meal. |
22 |
The school was opened yesterday. There were so many children. It made me happy to see them. But now I must concentrate on business again. Some of our ships need regular maintenance. |
23 |
I have been elected a vice-president of the World Shipping Federation. It is a great honor to obtain such a position as an Indian woman. I will have to travel to London often now. |
24 |
Our company is doing very well. So we have decided to purchase our own shipyard. It’s quite old and needs some reconstruction but with your help, that shouldn’t be a problem, right? |
25 |
I have secured a new deal for transporting sugarcane. The conditions were very favorable but I will need your help again. Deliver the cargo to our warehouses in Mumbai. We will take it from there. |
26 |
Captain, I have a special request. I know it’s not a part of our business but many lives depend on it. India is being separated from Pakistan and there are people who need transport to India. |
27 |
I knew I could count on you. Please, can you provide some food for the refugees? I will make sure they are taken care of once they all arrive here. |
28 |
The authorities are building temporary housing for the refugees. If you are still interested in helping, I am sure they could use some building materials. |
29 |
Our shipyard is almost ready to start the construction of the first vessel. We just need to fix the access road so it can be easily reached by our trucks too. It’s in a terrible state right now. |
30 |
The Scindia Shipyard is complete. We are already working on our first vessel, the cargo ship Jalusha. Will you help us obtain the materials we need for the construction? |
31 |
The construction of the shipyard has cost us more than I expected. We were forced to take several loans and now the company is in debt. I hope we will be able to pay it off. |
32 |
Jalusha, the first ship constructed in our shipyard, is ready to be launched. There are still some things to be done before she is completed but we can already start looking for a crew to man her. |
33 |
It’s important that our sailors have enough vitamins during the voyages. We want to avoid scurvy. Nowadays there is a lot of artificial vitamins but I still prefer to get them some fresh fruit too. |
34 |
Our warehouses are in a pitiful state. They need to be reconstructed asap or one day we come and a wall could be collapsed. It will cost money but with your help, we can cut the costs. |
35 |
We also need to fix the roof on the eastern warehouse. The seasonal rains will be here shortly and they could damage all the cargo stored inside. That would be a catastrophe. |
36 |
We have been providing food for the poor in the city for some time. Unfortunately, with our financial problems, we can’t keep this up. Maybe if you help us with it, we could continue this activity. |
37 |
We need more metal containers for our cargo. We had a lot of wooden crates before, but they are not as reliable as the new metal ones. Do you know how to get those for cheap? |
38 |
Our debts have increased and the board wants to sell some of our vessels. But the ships are like my daughters, I can’t part with them. We need a new deal to get the money. |
39 |
This new cotton deal will hopefully provide enough money to cover the largest debts. We may still have to sell one or two vessels, but it’s better than selling half our fleet. |
40 |
Thank you for all the help you provided us, captain. Not only were you a perfect business partner but also a good friend in need. You and your sailors will be always welcome in India. |
Final |
Let us conclude our business with this small gift. It was a pleasure, captain. |