Army Vice Chief cites need for integrated national logistics network

26 Apr 2021 CW Staff

In a speech at a seminar, Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General CP Mohanty said India needs to have a national logistics network, combining civilian and military resources, to deal with any crisis situation in the future effectively.

Expressing his views on operation logistics, Mohanty said the entire operation has to be networked to connect frontline soldiers and all service providers with a click of a button. In order to do so, the operations have to be modelled on telemarketing on the lines of Amazon, Flipkart, Big Basket, among others, said Mohanty.

The Army Vice Chief also emphasised on the use of the best technologies to enhance India's military capabilities to confront various challenges, including along the western and northern borders.

Mohanty said the incorporation of automation to reduce inventory, artificial intelligence for better predictive maintenance, blockchain for more efficient logistics supply chain management, fuel cells for energy management are some of the issues that are being looked at.

He said a frontline commander in the thick of a battle could not afford to contact multiple service providers. According to Mohanty, all services such as food, fuel, warlike stores, weapons, ammunition, casualty evacuation, medical services, repair and recovery of vehicles and equipment have to be integrated into one large web.

It would involve multiple warehousing facilities, transportation by land, air and water, workshops, hospitals with round-the-clock transparency, said Mohanty.

He stated the requirement of nurturing jointness and integration, particularly in the evolution of joint logistics structures, has been accorded priority.

Image Source

Also Read: Covid logistics: Inox Air Products joins Railways in oxygen Ro-Ro

Also Read: Trends this year in logistics and supply chain

Infrastructure Energy

25 Jun 2026

Centre Prioritising Energy Security With Coal Gasification

Union minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said the Centre is prioritising energy security through a strategic shift to coal gasification and has announced incentives totalling Rs 460 billion (bn) to support the effort. He said more than 35 companies will start coal gasification activities in India within two months and that the government is encouraging firms that bring technology to close the domestic technology gap. The minister described the initiative as aimed at reducing import dependence and developing indigenous capacity. India has the fifth-largest coal reserve in the world, and..

BHEL and Coal India Invest Rs 250 bn in Odisha Gasification

Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) and Coal India (CIL) are jointly investing Rs 250 billion in a coal gasification project in Odisha, with the Prime Minister laying the foundation stone in Jharsuguda. Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy described the initiative as a transformative shift in coal utilisation that will open industrial avenues for the state. The project moves coal beyond conventional power generation to industrial feedstocks. Coal gasification will convert coal into synthesis gas, a versatile feedstock for chemicals, fertilisers and synthetic fuels, and the technology is ex..

BCCL Hands Over Dugdha Coal Washery To JSW Steel

Bharat Coking Coal has handed over the Dugdha Coal Washery to JSW Steel, marking the first coal washery asset monetisation under the Ministry of Coal's asset monetisation programme. The handover took place in the presence of senior officials from Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, JSW Steel and JSW Energy. The washery has a capacity of two million tonnes per annum (mn t per annum), and its transfer is intended to introduce private sector practices into coal beneficiation operations. The monetisation is aimed at modernising coal sector assets, improving operational efficiency and enhancing resource utilis..