Contented Collector Bro Prasanth Nair leaves KSINC, Girija to replace him
KOCHI: Prasanth Nair has stepped down as the managing director of the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), having kick-started many projects, especially those that help increase its revenue.Prasanth will now be the special secretary at the SC, ST and OBC development departments in Thiruvananthapuram, with retired IAS officer Girija Vaidyanathan replacing him at KSINC.
“The new assignment is exciting for me as my first posting was in Wayanad. Since then, several projects to improve the livelihood of the backward communities were there in the back of my mind. Development departments are exciting,” said Prasanth, who is referred to as ‘Collector Bro’.“A lot of projects were on at KSINC. Then the pandemic happened. We lost two crucial years because of that,” said Prasanth. “Several projects to boost the KSINC’s revenue, such as freshwater bottle reverse osmosis plant to supply potable water to ships in Thevara, are forthcoming. The project has a huge potential as it can also meet the demand for drinking water in the city,” he said.
Prasanth said a testing lab near Thoppumpady is also being planned. “There is no lab in Kochi to test the quality of the materials used in each stage of construction, especially in government projects. There is demand for such a lab and KSINC is keen to set up one,” he said.KSINC’s products will be up for sale in the Government e-Market Place (GeM) portal from this week for other government agencies to buy directly.
“Registering the KSINC’s product on the GeM portal will bring in immense business from across the country. KSINC’s turnover will cross Rs 200 crore in a year,” he said.KSINC has also launched many vessels in the tourism and transportation sector. The corporation’s another major project is the Kochi International Marina, which will be open next month.
“It alone can bring in a `19-crore turnover for KSINC, with substantial investment to revamp it. KSINC is looking for a technical and investment partner to operate it. Since there is no longer any threat of pirates off the Somali coast and with international seafarers preferring the Kochi route due to the ongoing Sri Lanka crisis, it has a huge potential,” said Prasanth.
STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTED
- Low asset model
- Business expansion outside Kerala
- Business with private institutions
- GPS in barges
- Generating revenue from available assets
- Enabling trip-wise closure for each vessel
- Keeping updated revenue income-expense data
- Streamlining internal audit