The Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan 2023-37, which aims to create sustainable architecture in sync with the broader policy directive of the PM Gati Shakti project, was released at the Naval Commanders Conference on Monday by Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt.

It aims to synchronise and enmesh the infrastructure requirements of the Navy over the next 15 years through a comprehensive perspective plan model, said the maritime force in a statement released on the opening day of the three-day Conference. “The Plan Document is aligned with the GoI vision on the creation of sustainable infrastructure and encompasses salient compliance with broader policy directives on the PM Gati Shakti Project, Disaster Resilience, and Transition to Net Zero, among others,” the Navy stated.

Similarly, the revised “IRS Rules and Regulations Handbook for Construction and Classification of Naval Combatants” was also handed over to the Navy by the MoS to cater for technological advancements and aatmanirbharta. The new rule book, an improved version of the previous edition of 2015, represents the self-reliance of the naval shipbuilding industry. Besides that, the “Family Logbook for Defence Civilian Personnel of the Indian Navy” for personal records and the “Electronic Service Document Project,” intended to transform the HR record, were also launched.

Speaking at the Naval Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi, Ajay Bhatt appreciated the self-reliance push within the Navy and said the last 33 warships have been Made in India, while 61 out of the 63 warships under construction are also being built in our shipyards. “The launch of Vindhyagiri by the President of India last month and the launch of Mahendragiri by the Vice President on the first of this month underscore the strength of indigenous warship building enterprises,” he said.

He emphasised that, as defence today is no longer limited to land, sea, or skies but encompasses space, cyber, economic, and social space, there is a necessity for a whole of a nation approach’ to overcome emerging security challenges.

In his opening remarks, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar emphasised, “As an instrument of the nation’s maritime power, we must accomplish every mission and task that comes our way. Second, we must be ready for the heavy lifting in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond, in pursuance of the vision SAGAR. Third, as the cutting edge of our rising Nation, we must embrace the larger societal changes that are happening around us. Fourthly, we are working closely with the CDS and the other two services to progress jointness and integration to meet the challenges of the future.”

Chief of Defence Staff General Ani Chauhan and senior naval leadership were present at the bi-annual Naval Commanders Conference, which reviewed the status of decisions taken during the first edition of the conference outside Delhi in 2023. The first edition was conducted onboard INS Vikrant in March 2023, and the second edition that started today is to review the status of decisions taken during the first edition.

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