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40 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News ? OCTOBER 2013 ?Fools rush in where angels fear to tread? had been the deciding factor for most salvors in India, holding them back from entering the salvage busi-ness in earnest. But when GOL Salvage Services Ltd. entered the Þ eld in 2011, it became a game changer as it was the Þ rst fully indigenous salvage company making an entry into the Þ eld that was traditionally dominated by overseas salvaging gi-ants.Not only has it made it big in a short span of time, but it has also added several milestones to its credit including the acquisition of full membership of the International Salvage Union (ISU) in just over a year of existence.GOL Salvage Services Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of GOL Offshore Limited (GOL). The GOL Offshore Group, the largest offshore service provider in India, enjoys three decades of continu-ous diversiÞ ed experience, a workforce of nearly 1,700, a ß eet of 61 multifunctional offshore assets and operations spread worldwide. The group?s business verticals range from drill- ing, engineering services, marine and aviation lo-gistics, IMR, ship repairs, port and terminal support to encompass the entire gamut of E&P activities. Having the backing of its global expertise, massive offshore assets and operations spread worldwide, GOL Offshore thus made a remarkable foray into the salvage business in India.?In most industries investment decisions are based on analysis of the return on capital em-ployed,? said Capt. Sandeep Kalia, Executive Director of GOL Salvage. ?Salvaging being a ca- sualty related business does not encourage capital investment based on Þ ve-year projections. But high capital intensive investment is imperative. In this respect GOL Salvage has a range of diversi Þ ed offshore assets owned by the parent company that is made available to it exclusively. These include anchor handlers, tugs, support crafts, cranes and hook up accommodation barges, highly skilled and qualiÞ ed salvage personnel, of Þ ces in both the East and West coasts of India, U.K., Dubai and Malay- sia, warehouses, repair facilities, salvage an diving equipment, for example. As a result GOL Salvage is ideally suited for this activity.? What is remarkable is that the company has within a short period successfully completed sev-eral complex and challenging salvage operations. Major jobs include the reß oating and delivery of a Marine SalvageGOL SALVAGE GOL SALVAGE (Images courtesy GOL Salvage) In the three years since its launch GOL Salvage Services Ltd, having forayed into a do-main traditionally commanded by global players has today become a force to reckon with. GOL Salvage?s Executive Director,Capt. Sandeep Kalia, gives a rare insight into the Indian salvaging scenario. By Joseph Fonseca, MumbaiTaking on the Global Giants MR #10 (34-41).indd 40MR #10 (34-41).indd 4010/2/2013 4:23:29 PM10/2/2013 4:23:29 PM