The International Maritime Organisation, London amended SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations with effect from 1 July 1986 with far reaching consequences as it introduced new rules for use of Lifeboats on ships particularly Oil and Gas Carriers etc., which proved to be a turning point.
For this purpose, the Lifeboat was placed in a specially erected concrete tank located in the outskirts of Chennai without human habitation, filled with 3,400 L of kerosene and petrol and burned for a continuous period of 14 minutes with a couple of mice kept inside the boat.
Significant among them being the supply of 8 nos high speed FRP Interceptor Crafts fitted with 120 BHP Simpson P6 354 Marine Diesel Engines to the Indian Coast Guard in September 1988 certified by the Indian Register of Shipping for patrolling off the Rameshwaram Coast in Southern India and the 11-metre 25-passenger capacity high speed FRP Launch fitted with twin 200 BHP Volvo Penta Marine Diesel Engines for inter island services in Andaman & Nicobar in February 1997 complying with the stringent Dynamically Supported Craft regulations and certified as a Passenger Vessel by Ministry of Shipping, Government of India.
Due to increase in the number of accidents on Ships globally caused by improper maintenance of Lifeboats and Davits (Launching Appliances), The International Maritime Organisation in May 2006 regulated the servicing and testing of the Lifeboats, On-Load Release Gears, Rescue Boats and Davits stipulating them to be carried out only by the Original Equipment Manufacturer or their authorised service providers.
Ramakrishnan during his tenure as managing director included gifting of 58 acres of land to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai for establishment of a Woman's College and other Institutions at the outskirts of Chennai in January 1997, establishing the CBSE affiliated Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School in Mannapra Village, Palakkad district, Kerala after inauguration of Bhavan's Puthucode Kendra in his native village in October 2000 and opening the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia Centre at Sydney inaugurated by Shri Yashwant Sinha, then Minister for External Affairs, Government of India in Aug 2003.