The second edition of the Navy Commanders’ Conference of 2018 that kicked off today, would see top Commanders of the Indian Navy deliberate on the themes of ‘Optimisation’ and ‘Emerging Technologies’.

India is a maritime nation and its growth is inexplicably linked to the seas. Under the overall vision of the Hon’ble PM of ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ (SAGAR), the Indian Navy has been at the forefront of providing an environment of stability and peace in the Indian Ocean region (IOR). As the premier Navy in the region, the Indian Navy aspires to remain the ‘Net Security Provider’ in the Indian Ocean through collaboration and cooperation with like-minded and friendly nations.

The Indian Navy has witnessed an unprecedented growth in its operational tasking over the past decade in consonance with India’s rising maritime interests. The Navy has adopted the ‘Mission-based Deployment’ philosophy and the ‘Maintenance-to-Operations’ transition cycle over the past year to address the need to be present and to respond to emerging situations in the IOR. 

The conference would among other issues, deliberate upon combat readiness of units and optimisation of resources including manpower to meet the growing list of missions and tasks that the Navy is expected to perform. The conference would have dedicated ‘Brain-storming’ sessions to discuss and conceptualise new ideas and concepts, as well as critically examine organisational structures and processes to meet developing challenges and threats to maritime security. Commanders would also look at utilising emerging technologies such as Big-Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness.

The Hon’ble RM would also address the Navy Commanders, outlining the maritime vision of the Government and expectations of the nation and its citizens from the Navy. The conference would conclude on Friday after three days of intense and focused deliberations.