Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at GSV convocation: ‘Logistics management was deciding factor in the success of Operation Sindoor’

“The entire world has seen the live and burning example of this during Operation Sindoor. The way the logistics management was handled by various agencies – right from mobilisation of forces to transporting equipment and items needed by them at the right time and at the right place, was a deciding factor in the success of Operation Sindoor…”

Singh added that logistics should not be seen as only a means to transport goods, but, instead, it should be viewed with the same importance as strategizing.

“Whether we speak about armed forces at war at the border or personnel involved in responding to disasters. In the absence of coordination and distribution of resources, even the strongest intention can weaken. Logistics is the power that converts an attempt to control; it is the discipline that makes a battlefield what it is meant to be. In the absence of logistics, a battlefield will only become a confusion zone… Today, strength is measured not just by weapons but by timely resource management,” the defence minister further said.

Speaking about the logistical needs of the defence forces, he said, “If I speak of our Army, for them logistics are weapons, fuel, rations, medicines and travelling to remote areas without delay. For our Navy, it is important to ensure that necessary spare parts and fuel are available for the ships. For the Air Force, it is necessary that the jets can fly without any interruption. This includes ground support, fuel supply and emergency coordination… It is for you to think that if we have advanced missile systems, but if the necessary electronics needed to launch them do not arrive in time, will that technology be of any use to us?”

Describing Vadodara as a “confluence” city of education, culture and technology, Singh said, “You can also see that in the context of Vadodara, where Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus have set up a final assembly line complex for the Airbus C295 aircraft… When it is ready, it will provide its seamless services across the world. This is impossible without better logistics management…”

Established as a central university under the Ministry of Railways in 2022, GSV is “dedicated to creating world-class talent in the logistics and transportation sectors.”