Hailing from Bantwal, a small town in the Kannada district of Karnataka, Shashi Kiran Shetty had a grand vision. After the family business faced challenges, he moved to Mumbai and discovered his career path there. With an initial investment of just Rs 25 thousand, he launched his own business, which has now grown into a company valued at Rs 6,500 crore. The journey of Shashi Shetty, the founder of Allcargo Logistics, serves as an inspiration to the youth.

Job hunting

Shashi Kiran Shetty began his education in his hometown of Bantwal, graduating from Venkatramana Swamy College. When the family business shut down, he relocated to Mumbai in 1978 in search of employment. After a period of job hunting, he secured a position in a small shipping company, marking the start of his career. Later, he joined Tata's Forbes Gokak, where he interacted with prominent figures in the shipping industry and gained a deep understanding of the business.

Starting a business

Shashi Shetty worked tirelessly at Tata for four years, managing to save Rs 25,000 from his salary. With this amount, he made the decision to start his own business. He left his job and set up an office in Vyapar Bhawan on D’mello Road, Mumbai. At just 25 years old, he launched Trans India Freight Services with a team of only four employees.

Business success

Starting a business during those times was challenging, especially with limited resources. Shashi Shetty rented a truck from transporters and began delivering goods to ships using these rented vehicles. Over time, the business expanded, and in 1994, his firm evolved into Allcargo Logistics. Today, his company employs over 4,000 workers and operates in 180 countries, offering services to 530 destinations. He is also the Chairman of ECU Worldwide and Gati Limited.

Achievements

With his extensive experience, Shashi Kiran Shetty guided Allcargo into new sectors, entering container freight stations in 2003, contract logistics in 2016, and logistics parks in 2018. He acquired ECU-Line (now ECU Worldwide) in 2005. Following NITIE's transition to IIM Mumbai, Shashi Shetty was appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Governance. In 2023, he was honoured with Karnataka's second highest civilian award.