Background
She was born to wealthy family of Mathuradas Goculdas and his wife, Premabai, in Bombay.
She was born to wealthy family of Mathuradas Goculdas and his wife, Premabai, in Bombay.
Sumati was named Jamuna, after the sacred river associated with Krishna in Vrindavan. She was included in the managing agency of the company in 1923 at age 20. Sumati built the company from humble beginnings parlaying a few vessels in the company and gradually developing it, till she assumed full charge of the company by 1946, managing over six thousand people.
She was already on the board of directors, and her expertise in the shipping trade, developed over many years.
Due to her amazing feat, she was also elected the president of Indian National Steamship Owners" Association in 1956 and next two years and again in 1965. lieutenant was under her supervision that the company rose to fleet of 43 shipping vessels totalling 552,000 tonnes of dead weight.
From 1979 to 1987, she was chairperson of the company, until the government took over the debt-ridden Scindia Steam Navigation. She was later appointed as the chairperson emeritus of the company till 1992.
Sumati remained in regular touch with Mahatma Gandhi and both met on several occasions.
Their exchange was documented in newspaper reports. He counted her among his closest friends. Between 1942 and 1946, she was involved in the underground movement for Independence with him.
She was elected as vice-president of the World Shipping Federation, London, in 1970.
She served as the chairperson of the Narottam Morarjee Institute of Shipping. She was instrumental in bringing the Sindhis from Pakistan during Partition of India.
She helped to establish a model for modern Indian Shipping companies and offered to world not only business values but also helped propagate ideas of Indian culture and heritage. She died due to cardiac arrest on June 27, 1998 at the age of 91.