The Indian Navy is experiencing a shortage of over 10,000 personnel, creating a considerable workforce gap that could affect its defense capabilities.
During a recent parliamentary session, the country’s defense ministry disclosed that the navy is currently short 9,119 sailors and 1,777 officers, totaling 10,896 personnel.
The number of officers and sailors in the service stands at 11,979 and 76,649, respectively.
According to Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, a decline was observed as early as last year, with only 5,171 sailors signing up compared to the 5,547 recruited in 2021.
The numbers shed light on the challenges the Indian Navy is facing in addressing the persistent scarcity of personnel.
On the other hand, there was a slight increase in the number of navy officers hired, from 323 in 2021 to 386 the following year.
Officer Shortage in All Services
Earlier this year, the Indian defense ministry also revealed a shortfall of officers in all three military services – the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The deficit reportedly stands at 11,266, mainly at Major and Captain-level posts.
The Indian Army recorded the most vacancies, as it needs 2,094 more officers at the level of Major and 4,734 more at the level of Captain.
The navy, meanwhile, is 2,617-short of high-ranking personnel, particularly at the rank of Lieutenant-Commander and below.
According to the ministry, the current shortage can be attributed to low recruitment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the manpower deficit, it assured that the present number of military officers is adequate to meet current operational requirements.
