Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said seamless logistics management by various agencies was a deciding factor in the success of Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian armed forces in May, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan post the Pahalgam attack.
He made this assertion while addressing students and faculty members virtually at the third convocation ceremony of Vadodara-based Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), a university under Ministry of Railways.
“The speed at which the world is changing is both impressive and shocking. The defence sector is also transforming, and major changes are being witnessed in the methods of warfare. In today’s era, wars are not won by guns and bullets alone, but by their time-bound delivery,” the Minister said.
Rajnath Singh stressed that the handling of logistics decides a country’s fate on the battlefield. Victory and defeat are decided by logistics, and the whole world had witnessed this during Operation Sindoor, he said.
“Logistics management was a deciding factor in the success of Operation Sindoor. The way various agencies managed logistics right from mobilisation of our armed forces to delivering the required material at the right place at the right time has proved to be a deciding factor in the success of the operation,” defence minister said.
He said logistics should not be seen only as a process of delivering goods, but must be considered a strategically important sector.
“It is logistics that makes a battlefield a battlefield. Without logistics, it will become a confusion zone. There is no meaning if arms and ammunition don’t reach the right place at the right time during a war. The stronger our logistics management is, the stronger our borders will be,” he said.
“Today, we are in a time where power is not measured only by weapons, but by timely resource management. Be it war, disaster or global pandemic, it has been proven that a nation which keeps its logistics chain strong is the most stable, secure and capable,” he said.
For the Army, logistics means that weapons, fuel, rations and medicines reach remote areas without delay, and for the Navy, it is important to ensure that spare parts and other equipment are available to the ships in time, Singh said.
“And, it is important for our Air Force to ensure that the jets continue their flights without any hindrance with the help of ground support and uninterrupted fuel supply. Just imagine, if we have advanced missile systems but the electronics needed to launch them don’t arrive in time, then that technology is of no use,” the minister said.
He said the ‘PM Gati Shakti’ initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an extension of the idea of logistics integration.
Under this initiative, a multi-modal logistics ecosystem is being created by integrating modes of transport such as roads, railways, waterways and air transport, Rajnath Singh said.
He highlighted the importance of logistics in the economic progress of the country, terming it as one of the main pillars which connects every step - from pre-production to consumption. He termed the contribution of logistics in India’s GDP as important both directly and indirectly, while also underlining the crucial role it played during COVID, when lakhs of vaccines, oxygen cylinders and medical teams reached from one place to another in a time of need.
Rajnath Singh pointed out that India has witnessed unprecedented infrastructure development in the last 11 years, and the foundation of this transformation, which is being carried out with a holistic and integrated approach, has been laid through policy reforms and mission-mode projects. He added that its impact is not limited to physical connectivity, but it has also increased economic productivity, reduced logistics cost and improved service delivery.
On the National Logistics Policy, defence minister said the initiative aims to create an integrated, efficient, and cost-effective logistics network that not only reduces logistics cost but also encourages data-driven decision-making.
“The policy aims to bring down the current 13-14% logistics cost to the level of developed countries. This will increase the competitiveness of Indian products in domestic and global markets. Reduction in logistics cost will increase efficiency in all sectors and will boost value addition and enterprise growth,” he added.
Rajnath Singh described digitisation, automation, real-time tracking, AI-enabled logistics forecasting, and sustainable freight systems as national necessities for India in today’s times. He appreciated the efforts of GSV and the students for making headway in these subjects.
GSV, established in 2022 as a central university under the Ministry of Railways, is dedicated to creating world-class talent in the logistics and transportation sectors. Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw is its first Chancellor. He was present during the event along with Vadodara MP Dr Hemang Joshi and Vice-Chancellor Prof (Dr) Manoj Choudhary.
