How a patriot entrepreneur challenged British shipping monopoly
V O Chidambaram Pillai, called VOC, started the first indigenous Indian shipping company, Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company (SSNCo), in 1906, against British India Steam Navigation Company, plying ships between Tuticorin-Colombo. He was later arrested by the British government in 1908 and sentenced to two terms of life-imprisonment and was locked in Coimbatore prison where he was sentenced to hard labour.
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The Tamil who ran ships
VOC was known as 'Kappalotia Tamizhan VOC' (the Tamil who ran ships). The Tuticorin harbour was named after him to honour his role during the freedom struggle. Born at Ottapidaram near Panchalankurichi, VOC's family had been in legal profession for generations. Following the family tradition, he too became a pleader and became widely known for his keen legal mind.
In 1906, pained by the monopoly of the British India Steam Navigation Company, called BI, which ran shipping services between Tuticorin and Colombo, VOC decided to launch a Swadeshi steamship company which will not be exploitative like the monopolistic British company.
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Tuticorin traders were upset about the behaviour of the British company's agents, racial insults from its officials, and the company's refusal to share revenue, arising from its control over the
