Navy's Annual Logistics Conference inaugurated in Vizag

Navy's Annual Logistics Conference (ALC) was today inaugurated at the city-based Eastern Naval Command.
The two-day conference was inaugurated by ENC's Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Vice Admiral HCS Bisht.
Controller of Logistics, Integrated Headquarters, Min of Defence(Navy) Vice Admiral Jaywant Korde and all the stake- holders from Naval Headquarters, three Naval Commands and Material Organisations of the Navy attended the conference, an official statement said.
With a theme of 'Striving to Achieve Total Logistics Solutions', this year's ALC deliberates the operational logistic imperatives for functional and maintenance issues of ships, submarines and aircraft of the Navy and formulate logistic roadmap for inventory augmentation to meet growing requirements of the Navy, it said.

Bisht lauded the vital role played by the logistics planners in development of credible operational capability and to maintain the desired level of operational readiness of the Navy.
He also emphasised on the need for transforming logistics processes to keep pace with the requirements of a blue water Navy, said the statement

Important logistics issues pertaining to material and personnel logistics including inventory management were deliberated.
Lanba said India had always been a maritime nation, but
it "lost focus" in the past.
"We had become land-centric and (with a) continental mindset, which had shifted now. India as a nation...Our destinies linked to the ocean. That is why, there is a renewed focus on maritime," he said.

Emphasising on the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean Region, known as the economic highways and critical to the global economy, Lanba said as the strategic and economic values of these sea lanes increase, the challenges entailing them will also rise.
"To address these challenges, it is imperative that the navies and maritime agencies of different countries join hands to anchor collective security, stability and sustained growth for the entire region.
"The Indian navy will continue to accord greater focus to enhance collective ability of countries in Indian Ocean region to monitor and secure the maritime zones," Lanba said.
Speaking at the conference, Union Minister for Skill Development Rajiv Pratap Rudy emphasised on organising an international skill conference on blue economy and maritime activities, in which aspects like skilling retired navy personnels could be discussed.

This could further be taken up with the Skill Development Ministry, he said.