Ajay Bhatt, the Minister of State for Defence , stated in response to a question in the Lok Sabha that as of October 31, 9,119 positions for sailors were open in the Navy. There is a 1,777 officer-rank shortfall, he said.
The Navy has 11,979 officers and 76,649 sailors on official rolls. Bhatt stated that although 386 cops were hired in 2022, only 323 officers were hired in 2021. There were 5,547 sailors enlisted in the Navy in 2021. 5,171 was the figure in 2022, he continued. He replied, “A technology development fund will give financial support to Indian industries, startups, and academic and scientific institutions for the development of defence and dual use technologies,” in response to a different query. The fund also aims to involve the private sector, particularly MSMEs and startups, in bringing in the culture of military technology design and development and supporting them with grants for help, Bhatt stated in his written response.
