Early Life
Harindarpal Singh Banga, or Harry Banga, was born in Amritsar, India, and raised in Chandigarh. He attended the Training Ship Dufferin, India's oldest maritime academy, earning his Master Mariner certification in 1976. By the age of 27, he was already commanding merchant vessels, showcasing an early aptitude for leadership and a career in the maritime industry.
Rise to Success
Banga's career trajectory shifted from maritime to the commodities sector. He joined Gulf Group in Hong Kong as Operations Manager in 1979 and became an early partner in Noble Group Limited in 1989. He played a crucial role in establishing and leading Noble Chartering Limited and later served as Vice-Chairman of Noble Group after its Hong Kong listing in 1994. Banga is recognized as a driving force behind Noble's success, with his 21 years with the company contributing significantly to his wealth and recognition on the Forbes billionaires list.
Key Business Strategies
Banga's business acumen is evident in his strategic decisions and leadership roles. He founded The Caravel Group Limited in 2013, a diversified global conglomerate with three main lines of business: Caravel Maritime, Caravel Resources, and Caravel Asset Management. Caravel Group trades and ships commodities. Caravel Maritime includes Fleet Management Limited and offers ship management and other maritime investments. His ability to identify opportunities and adapt to market changes has been key to his achievements.
Philanthropy
Harry Banga is known for his philanthropic efforts through The Caravel Foundation Limited. The Caravel Foundation awards scholarships to students at several universities, including Dartmouth College, Duke University, and Princeton University. The Indra & Harry Banga Gallery at City University of Hong Kong is named in his and his wife’s honor. Indra Banga is a Director of both The Caravel Group and The Caravel Foundation.
