How Nautika Built India’s Best-Performing Ferry Service by Betting on the People of Andaman

What does it take to run a ferry service with a near-perfect strike rate from the very first day of operations? For Nautika, India’s youngest and fastest-growing premium ferry operator in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the answer has always been simple: hire from the islands, train with heart, and build a team that doesn’t just work on the water — but belongs to it.

Behind Nautika’s gleaming catamarans and 25 lakh passengers served in under four years lies something more powerful than engineering — a crew of islanders who became the heartbeat of India’s most reliable ferry service.

The Crew Behind the Craft

The Captain: Every morning before dawn, Captain Stalin Babu walks to the bridge and reads the Andaman Sea the way only a native can — the colour of the sky, the rhythm of the swell, the way the wind tugs at the water. Born and raised in the Andaman Islands, he didn’t learn these waters from a manual — he grew up on them. When monsoon clouds gather, and other operators hesitate, Captain Stalin Babu draws on a lifetime of lived experience to make the call.

The Engineer: Long before the first passenger scans their boarding QR code, Avinash, Nautika’s Maintenance Engineer, has already inspected every vessel — engines, hull, navigation, safety systems. From the islands, he represents a generation of young Andamanese professionals who, until Nautika, would have had to leave home for skilled technical work. Trained in-house and entrusted with maintaining Singapore-designed catamarans, Avinash brings something no manual teaches: pride.

The Chief Officer: Working alongside Captain Stalin Babu is Chief Officer Sachin, who ensures every voyage runs with clockwork precision. From coordinating crew duties and overseeing safety protocols to managing real-time navigation decisions, Sachin is the vital link between the bridge and the deck. A local from the islands, he embodies the same deep connection to these waters that defines Nautika’s DNA.

The Commercial Team: The Heart of the Passenger Experience

While the marine crew navigates the waters, Nautika’s commercial team navigates the people. This is one of Nautika's largest divisions and the most visible face of the brand.

Drawn predominantly from the Nicobar and surrounding islands, the commercial team handles the entire passenger journey on land — from ticketing and booking management to crowd coordination, boarding operations, grievance resolution, and customer service. They greet families at the jetty, manage peak-season rushes with calm efficiency, resolve last-minute booking issues, and ensure every passenger feels welcomed.

Their local roots are a natural advantage: they understand island life, speak the community's languages, and bring an intuitive warmth that no training manual can replicate. For many travellers, this team is their first impression of Nautika — ensuring the promise of “Friendly, Fabulous, and Fast” is delivered at every touchpoint.

The Visionary: Behind it all stands Anoop Kumar, Partner & Director of Nautika. Born into a middle-class Andaman family, Anoop watched talent leave for the mainland. When he built Nautika, the advice was unanimous: bring in experienced hands from outside. He did the opposite — betting that islanders who understood these waters would build something no imported expertise could match. That conviction has been vindicated: 25 lakh passengers, ~75% annual growth, India’s first business-class ferry in Nautika Pro, and a near-100% strike rate — all powered by a local workforce.

“We looked for young people right here — people who had grown up with salt in the air and the sea in their bones. We trained them, believed in them, and gave them a purpose. Today, they don’t just run our ferries — they are Nautika. Our strike rate isn’t because of our vessels. It’s because when your crew is native to these waters, they protect their home.”— Anoop Kumar, Partner & Director, Nautika

An Economic Engine for the Islands

Nautika’s local-first hiring addresses a real crisis: the Andaman and Nicobar Islands recorded 33.4% graduate unemployment in 2023-24, with skilled youth leaving for the mainland. By creating aspirational maritime careers on the islands, Nautika is reversing that brain drain — and the ripple effects are visible everywhere.

Nautika’s people-first philosophy isn’t a CSR initiative. It is the company’s core strategy — and the foundation of every milestone. Nautika is quietly living community impact — every departure, every nautical mile, every day.