International clearing & shipping agency

ICSA was formed on August 27th 1931. It originally functioned as a clearing house for goods imported from other countries.

1936 witnessed the entry of the first generation of the current family that owns the company in the form of K.S.Janakiram who is often referred to as the architect of ICSA.

Very shortly, ICSA landed a number of new businesses through various ad-hoc contracts as well as clearance contracts for war supplies on behalf of the Indian Government. This gave the company the financial strength & reputation to venture into newer pastures such as Ship Agency Business.

In 1949 ICSA got its first direct appointment as agents for Gydnia America Shipping Lines (later became East India Shipping Company which was subsequently taken over by Polish Ocean Lines) & in 1951, ICSA was also appointed as general agents for Mitsui Line of Japan along the East Coast of India.

With this rapid growth in business, ICSA also slowly extended its presence in India opening its own offices in various port towns such as Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta), Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada & Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay).

It was further helped by getting various agencies for other shipping lines including Navix & Shinwa (of Japan), Pakistan shipping lines (briefly), The Great Eastern Shipping Company of India amongst others.

The customs clearance activities remained buoyant growing rapidly with a number of government companies coming under its fold.This buoyant growth both in depth as well as width continued into the 80s leading to ICSA further strengthening its presence through additional offices in Tuticorin, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Coimbatore & Mangalore.

The early 80s saw the advent of containerization in India which enhanced ICSA's role as shipping agents for Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., (the merged entity of Mitsui Lines & O.S.K.Lines) & 1991 saw the return of the agency for Mitsui O.S.K. Lines at Kolkata which they had lost as a result of the merger in 1964.

Into the Nineties & understanding the need to add value to the current services offered, ICSA saw a flurry of new activities over the next few years.1998 marked ICSA's entry into the road transportation activity through an acquisition of an exiting co. through an associate company which today boasts of its own fleet of over 135 vehicles.

In the year 2000, ICSA received its IATA accreditation enabling it to book cargo by air on its own air way bills. The same year also witnessed the appointment of ICSA as agents for MOL, additionally in Cochin giving the company coverage of the entire South in addition to the East Coast.

In 2003, ICSA obtained its Multi Modal Transport Operator License from the Director General of Shipping in India therefore enabling it to issue its own multi modal transport document covering various modes for transport from original place of receipt of cargo to final place of delivery.