The Story of
Ryota Hashimoto
A Quiet Beginning
When I first joined the company, I was assigned to the LNG carrier business, and at that time, I viewed India as simply one large market among many. As India's importance grew from the perspective of energy security and logistics, and as I began visiting the country and building relationships with counterparts on the ground, I came to truly appreciate the scale of its potential. India is also a vital strategic partner for Japan. Beyond being a promising market for us, it is home to a large pool of seafarers and serves as a key hub for ship management. I feel genuinely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in this environment.
What India Taught Me About Leadership
Japan and India have different business cultures.
Working across both has enriched my perspective in three ways:
To learn from the spirit of "jugaad" - a willingness to just get started and figure things out along the way. I have learned a great deal from the speed and vitality with which Indian colleagues move things forward, often thinking and adjusting as they go.
Japan's approach of careful, thorough deliberation before decision making brings its own strengths. I have found that combining the best of both Indian agility and Japanese rigor genuinely helps push business forward.
I have noticed real differences between Japan and India in decision-making speed, directness in negotiation, and relationship-building - staying conscious of this has helped me become more flexible, adapting my approach to context.
What strikes me most about my Indian colleagues is their persistence in searching for solutions even in difficult situations, and their willingness to engage in open, candid dialogue. They respect the other party while still clearly stating their own position, and they will come back to the table again and again in pursuit of common ground. That "never, never, never give up" mindset, always searching for a win-win, is something I learn from every single day.
India's Growing Importance
India is a market where we see real potential to grow our Profit and Loss top line, and at the same time it is a major hub supporting our group's fleet of roughly 900 vessels, particularly through seafarer supply and ship management.
Looking at both the commercial opportunity and the operational foundation it provides, I believe India will only continue to grow in strategic importance for the MOL Group going forward.
A Closing
Reflection
My journey with India has taught me the importance of engaging in dialogue with patience and persistence, grounded in clear principles, while starting from the assumption that we may see things differently." Respecting one another and working through a discussion until both sides are genuinely satisfied is, I believe, something Japan and India share in common. That said, there are of course real differences between us, which is precisely why it matters to keep the agreed principles – whether contractual or otherwise – firmly in mind when building business relationships and closing negotiations. On that foundation, I have come to believe strongly that if both sides do their best in the discussion, we will ultimately find a way to shake hands.
