Navy to hold 'conclave of chiefs' today; 'Make in India' to be area of focus

NEW DELHI: The Navy will hold a unique brainstorming session on Thursday with seven of its former chiefs called for a "conclave of chiefs" to exchange views on policy, manpower, procurement, doctrine and other matters.

Admiral Robin Dhowan had extended invitations to all former chiefs, of which Admirals R H Tahiliani, L Ramdas, V S Shekhawat, Vishnu Bhagwat, Sushil Kumar, Arun Prakash and D K Joshi will take part in what is billed as the "first-of-its-kind initiative" in the maritime force.

"The former chiefs can give guidance on a myriad of issues. The intent is to take advantage of their collective experience and wisdom to chart out the path ahead for the Navy. They, in turn, will be apprised of the latest developments in the force and its future plans anchored on the Make in India initiative," said an officer.

As reported earlier by TOI, the Navy has 42 warships and six submarines on order for construction in domestic shipyards for around Rs 3 lakh crore, with the aim to build a powerful three-dimensional Navy to protect its huge maritime interests, from the Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait, as well as counter the expanding Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region. It has also identified around 100 advanced technologies for DRDO to develop over the next 15 years in tune with the 'Make in India' policy.