Sumati Morarjee

Born: 13 March 1909

Died: 27 June 1998

She also known as the first woman of Indian shipping, is credited to have become the first woman in the world to head an organization of ship owners – Indian National Steamship Owners Association (later renamed Indian National Shipowners Association) which has been traditionally a male bastion.
She has been awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honor of India in 1971 for her civil services.
She remained in regular touch with Mahatma Gandhi and both met on several occasions.
Their exchange was documented in newspaper reports. He counted her among his closest friends.
Between 1942 and 1946, she was involved in the underground movement for Independence with him.
She was also the founder of the Sumati Vidya Kendra School in Juhu, Mumbai.
She provided a one-way passage to Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), in 1965.
She was elected as vice-president of the World Shipping Federation, London, in 1970.
She served as the chairperson of the Narottam Morarjee Institute of Shipping.
She was instrumental in bringing the Sindhis from Pakistan during the Partition of India.
She helped to establish a model for modern Indian Shipping companies and offered to a world not only business values but also helped propagate ideas of Indian culture and heritage.