Director General Project Seabird

{{Infobox official post

| post = Director General Project Seabird

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| flag = File:Vice_Admiral_ensign_of_Indian_Navy.svg

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| flagcaption = Flag of the DG Seabird (Vice Admiral's flag)

| image = File:VAdm_Rajesh_Dhankhar.png

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| incumbent = Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar, NM

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| incumbentsince = 28 Aug 2024

| department = Indian Navy

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| abbreviation = DG Seabird

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| reports_to = Vice Chief of the Naval Staff

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| seat = New Delhi

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| first = Rear Admiral S. K. Chand, AVSM

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The Director General of Project Seabird (DG Seabird) is a senior appointment in the Indian Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral. The DG heads the Seabird Project with a charter to oversee the largest defence infrastructure project progressing at the Karwar Naval Base.

Background

In the early 1980s, then Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson conceived of a naval base sandwiched between the hills of the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea near Karwar in Karnataka state. Located south of the naval bases in Mumbai and Goa and north of Kochi, the location had advantages as being very close to the world's busiest shipping route between the Persian Gulf and east Asia and out of range of most strike aircraft from neighbouring countries. It offered a natural deep-water harbour and significant land area for expansion, allowing larger aircraft carriers to berth. However, due to a variety of reasons, including the 1991 economic crisis, development was delayed.{{cite news|last=Unnithan|first=Sandeep|title=Power Base|url=http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20041220/defence.html|access-date=8 July 2013|newspaper=India today|date=20 December 2004}}

=Project Seabird=

In 1999, following Pokhran-II, then Defence Minister George Fernandes approved Project Seabird to pursue the construction of the new naval base at Karwar. Larsen & Toubro was the lead contractor for the marine works on the harbour, in partnership with Hochtief, Ballast Nadem Dredging of the Netherlands, Radisson of Australia and Nedeco of The Netherlands. Over {{convert|5|km|spell=in|abbr=on}} of breakwater was constructed using over 4.4 million cubic metres of rock to protect the harbour.{{cite web|url=http://www.indiadefence.com/kadamba.htm|title=INS Kadamba - Naval Base at Karward|publisher=India Defence|date=1 June 2005|access-date=4 January 2012}} The Binaga Bay was dredged and its rock outcrops blasted to allow even large aircraft carriers to turn inside the bay. Anjadip Island is one of the two islands to which the breakwaters are linked for reinforcement. A second channel will be added to the base to allow warships to simultaneously enter and exit the port .{{cite news|last=Unnithan|first=Sandeep|title=Power Base|url=http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20041220/defence.html|access-date=8 July 2013|newspaper=India today|date=20 December 2004}}

List of Directors General

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="background:#cccccc" \| colspan="5" \|Director General Project Seabird{{cite press release \|title=VICE ADMIRAL TARUN SOBTI, VSM ASSUMED CHARGE AS DIRECTOR GENERAL, PROJECT SEABIRD \|date=2021-12-24 \|publisher=PIN \|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1784930}}
scope="col" style="width: 20px;"\|S.No. ! scope="col" style="width: 350px;" \| Name ! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" \| Assumed office ! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" \| Left office ! scope="col" style="width: 500px;" \| Notes
1 \|Rear Admiral S. K. Chand, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM}}}} \|19 March 1986 \|18 April 1990 \|
1 \|Vice Admiral S. K. Chand, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM}}}} \|18 April 1990 \|24 August 1991 \|
2 \|Rear Admiral P. S. Das, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|UYSM}}}} \|24 August 1991 \|1 October 1992 \|Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command.
3 \|Rear Admiral V. K. Malhotra, {{small\|{{post-nominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|VSM}}}} \|1 October 1992 \|31 October 1994 \|Later Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area
4 \|Rear Admiral M. Raman \|31 October 1994 \|9 November 1995 \|
5 \|Rear Admiral O. P. Bansal \|9 November 1995 \|15 November 1996 \|Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command.
6 \|Rear Admiral S. V. Gopalachari, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM\|VSM}}}} \|15 November 1996 \|13 October 1997 \|Later Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.{{cite web \|date=21 August 2004 \|title=Coast Guard gets new D-G \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/coast-guard-gets-new-d-g/articleshow/822298.cms?from=mdr \|access-date=24 December 2023 \|website=The Times of India}}
7 \|Rear Admiral Raman Puri, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|PVSM\|AVSM\|VSM}}}} \|13 October 1997 \|22 April 1998 \|Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.{{Cite web \|date=2017-01-04 \|title=Vice Adm Raman Puri, PVSM, AVSM, VSM \|url=https://www.vifindia.org/author/vice-adm-raman-puri \|access-date=2024-08-29 \|website=www.vifindia.org \|language=en}}
7 \|Vice Admiral Raman Puri, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|PVSM\|AVSM\|VSM}}}} \|22 April 1998 \|9 March 1999 \|
8 \|Rear Admiral S. R. Sampath Gopal, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM\|NM}}}} \|9 March 1999 \|30 April 2003 \|Earlier Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet.{{cite web \|title=`Seabird' on course \|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/article30220486.ece \|website=Frontline \|access-date=6 September 2024 \|language=en \|date=1 January 2004}}
9 \|Rear Admiral K. Mohanrao \|1 May 2003 \|31 December 2005 \|{{cite web \|title=Seabird set to become operational \|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050401/nation.htm \|website=tribuneindia \|access-date=6 September 2024}}{{cite web \|title=Karwar naval base getting ready to float \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/karwar-naval-base-getting-ready-to-float/articleshow/1067258.cms \|website=The Times of India \|access-date=6 September 2024 \|date=2 April 2005}}
10 \|Commodore P. C. Agrawal \|1 January 2006 \|26 March 2006 \|
12 \|Rear Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM\|VSM}}}} \|26 March 2006 \|31 October 2006 \|rowspan="2"\|Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.{{cite web \|title=WESTERN NAVAL COMMAND ACCORDS FAREWELL TO VICE ADMIRAL SANJEEV BHASIN, AVSM VSM ON HIS SUPERANNUATION AND RELINQUISHING COMMAND OF WNC \|url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Farewell_to_Vice_Admiral_Sanjeev_Bhasin.pdf \|website=wikimedia.org \|access-date=6 September 2024}}
12 \|Vice Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM\|VSM}}}} \|1 November 2006 \|18 January 2007
13 \|Rear Admiral B. R. Rao, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|NM\|VSM}}}} \| \| \|Later Chief Hydrographer to Government of India.{{cite web \|title=Mangalore: Vice Admiral B R Rao Makes His District Proud \|url=https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=66756 \|website=www.daijiworld.com \|access-date=6 September 2024 \|language=en}}
14 \|Rear Admiral A. R. Radhakrishnan \| \| \|{{Cite web \|title=Paradigm Roadmap for a Future Ready Naval Force \|url=https://www.spsnavalforces.com/story/?id=425 \|access-date=2024-08-29 \|website=www.spsnavalforces.com \|language=en}}
15 \|Rear Admiral C. S. Murthy, {{small\|{{post-nominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|NM}}}} \| \| \|{{Cite news \|date=2013-08-11 \|title=Karwar: Rear Admiral C S Murthy, former Director General, Sea Bird assumed command as the Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area. \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/karwar-rear-admiral-c-s-murthy-former-director-general-sea-bird-assumed-command-as-the-flag-officer-commanding-karnataka-naval-area-/articleshow/21761717.cms \|access-date=2024-08-29 \|work=The Times of India \|issn=0971-8257}}
16 \|Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM}}}} \| \| \|Later Chief of the Naval Staff.{{cite web \|title=Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC Chief of the Naval staff \|url=https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1572877 \|website=pib.gov.in \|access-date=6 September 2024}}{{cite web \|title=YAI - YAI Council \|url=https://www.yai.org.in/the-council.html \|website=www.yai.org.in \|access-date=6 September 2024}}
17 \|Vice Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM\|VSM}}}} \| \| \|Later Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.{{cite web \|title=Vice Admiral MS Pawar, AVSM, VSM Assumes Charge as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) \|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=187876 \|website=pib.gov.in \|access-date=6 September 2024}}
18 \|Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM\|NM}}}} \| \| \|Later Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.{{cite web \|title=Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh AVSM, NM assumes charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff \|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1723375 \|website=pib.gov.in \|access-date=6 September 2024}}
19 \|Vice Admiral Srikant, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM}}}} \| \| \|Earlier Commandant of the National Defence College.{{cite web \|title=National Defence College \|url=https://ndc.nic.in/about/from-commandants-desk/former-commandants \|website=ndc.nic.in \|access-date=6 September 2024}}
20 \|Vice Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|AVSM\|VSM}}}} \|1 January 2021 \|24 December 2021 \|Later Commandant of Indian Naval Academy.{{cite web \|date=2021-12-27 \|title=COMMANDANT,VICE ADMIRAL PUNEET K BAHL , AVSM, VSM \|url=https://www.ina.gov.in/?q=node/1406}}
21 \|Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|VSM}}}} \|24 December 2021 \|1 October 2023 \|Current Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.{{cite web \|date=23 February 2021 \|title=Rear Adm Tarun Sobti takes over as Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet \|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1700179 \|website=pib.gov.in \|language=en}}
22 \|Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar, {{small\|{{postnominals\|country=IND\|sep=,\|NM}}}} \|28 August 2024 \|Present \|Current DG Project Seabird.{{Cite news \|date=2024-08-28 \|title=Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar takes over as DG of Project 'Seabird' \|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/vice-admiral-rajesh-dhankhar-takes-over-as-dg-of-project-seabird/articleshow/112871309.cms?from=mdr \|access-date=2024-08-29 \|work=The Economic Times \|issn=0013-0389}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

style="background:#cccccc"

| colspan="5" |Director General Project Seabird{{cite press release |title=VICE ADMIRAL TARUN SOBTI, VSM ASSUMED CHARGE AS DIRECTOR GENERAL, PROJECT SEABIRD |date=2021-12-24 |publisher=PIN |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1784930}}

scope="col" style="width: 20px;"|S.No.

! scope="col" style="width: 350px;" | Name

! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | Assumed office

! scope="col" style="width: 150px;" | Left office

! scope="col" style="width: 500px;" | Notes

|Rear Admiral S. K. Chand, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM}}}}

|19 March 1986

|18 April 1990

|Vice Admiral S. K. Chand, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM}}}}

|18 April 1990

|24 August 1991

|Rear Admiral P. S. Das, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|UYSM}}}}

|24 August 1991

|1 October 1992

|Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command.

|Rear Admiral V. K. Malhotra, {{small|{{post-nominals|country=IND|sep=,|VSM}}}}

|1 October 1992

|31 October 1994

|Later Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area

|Rear Admiral M. Raman

|31 October 1994

|9 November 1995

|Rear Admiral O. P. Bansal

|9 November 1995

|15 November 1996

|Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command.

|Rear Admiral S. V. Gopalachari, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM|VSM}}}}

|15 November 1996

|13 October 1997

|Later Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.{{cite web |date=21 August 2004 |title=Coast Guard gets new D-G |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/coast-guard-gets-new-d-g/articleshow/822298.cms?from=mdr |access-date=24 December 2023 |website=The Times of India}}

|Rear Admiral Raman Puri, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM|VSM}}}}

|13 October 1997

|22 April 1998

|Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.{{Cite web |date=2017-01-04 |title=Vice Adm Raman Puri, PVSM, AVSM, VSM |url=https://www.vifindia.org/author/vice-adm-raman-puri |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=www.vifindia.org |language=en}}

|Vice Admiral Raman Puri, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|PVSM|AVSM|VSM}}}}

|22 April 1998

|9 March 1999

|Rear Admiral S. R. Sampath Gopal, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM|NM}}}}

|9 March 1999

|30 April 2003

|Earlier Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet.{{cite web |title=`Seabird' on course |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/article30220486.ece |website=Frontline |access-date=6 September 2024 |language=en |date=1 January 2004}}

|Rear Admiral K. Mohanrao

|1 May 2003

|31 December 2005

|{{cite web |title=Seabird set to become operational |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050401/nation.htm |website=tribuneindia |access-date=6 September 2024}}{{cite web |title=Karwar naval base getting ready to float |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/karwar-naval-base-getting-ready-to-float/articleshow/1067258.cms |website=The Times of India |access-date=6 September 2024 |date=2 April 2005}}

|Commodore P. C. Agrawal

|1 January 2006

|26 March 2006

|Rear Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM|VSM}}}}

|26 March 2006

|31 October 2006

|rowspan="2"|Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.{{cite web |title=WESTERN NAVAL COMMAND ACCORDS FAREWELL TO VICE ADMIRAL SANJEEV BHASIN, AVSM VSM ON HIS SUPERANNUATION AND RELINQUISHING COMMAND OF WNC |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Farewell_to_Vice_Admiral_Sanjeev_Bhasin.pdf |website=wikimedia.org |access-date=6 September 2024}}

|Vice Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM|VSM}}}}

|1 November 2006

|18 January 2007

|Rear Admiral B. R. Rao, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|NM|VSM}}}}

|Later Chief Hydrographer to Government of India.{{cite web |title=Mangalore: Vice Admiral B R Rao Makes His District Proud |url=https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=66756 |website=www.daijiworld.com |access-date=6 September 2024 |language=en}}

|Rear Admiral A. R. Radhakrishnan

|{{Cite web |title=Paradigm Roadmap for a Future Ready Naval Force |url=https://www.spsnavalforces.com/story/?id=425 |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=www.spsnavalforces.com |language=en}}

|Rear Admiral C. S. Murthy, {{small|{{post-nominals|country=IND|sep=,|NM}}}}

|{{Cite news |date=2013-08-11 |title=Karwar: Rear Admiral C S Murthy, former Director General, Sea Bird assumed command as the Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area. |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/karwar-rear-admiral-c-s-murthy-former-director-general-sea-bird-assumed-command-as-the-flag-officer-commanding-karnataka-naval-area-/articleshow/21761717.cms |access-date=2024-08-29 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}

|Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM}}}}

|Later Chief of the Naval Staff.{{cite web |title=Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC Chief of the Naval staff |url=https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1572877 |website=pib.gov.in |access-date=6 September 2024}}{{cite web |title=YAI - YAI Council |url=https://www.yai.org.in/the-council.html |website=www.yai.org.in |access-date=6 September 2024}}

|Vice Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM|VSM}}}}

|Later Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.{{cite web |title=Vice Admiral MS Pawar, AVSM, VSM Assumes Charge as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) |url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=187876 |website=pib.gov.in |access-date=6 September 2024}}

|Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM|NM}}}}

|Later Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.{{cite web |title=Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh AVSM, NM assumes charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1723375 |website=pib.gov.in |access-date=6 September 2024}}

|Vice Admiral Srikant, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM}}}}

|Earlier Commandant of the National Defence College.{{cite web |title=National Defence College |url=https://ndc.nic.in/about/from-commandants-desk/former-commandants |website=ndc.nic.in |access-date=6 September 2024}}

|Vice Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|AVSM|VSM}}}}

|1 January 2021

|24 December 2021

|Later Commandant of Indian Naval Academy.{{cite web |date=2021-12-27 |title=COMMANDANT,VICE ADMIRAL PUNEET K BAHL , AVSM, VSM |url=https://www.ina.gov.in/?q=node/1406}}

|Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|VSM}}}}

|24 December 2021

|1 October 2023

|Current Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.{{cite web |date=23 February 2021 |title=Rear Adm Tarun Sobti takes over as Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1700179 |website=pib.gov.in |language=en}}

|Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar, {{small|{{postnominals|country=IND|sep=,|NM}}}}

|28 August 2024

|Present

|Current DG Project Seabird.{{Cite news |date=2024-08-28 |title=Vice Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar takes over as DG of Project 'Seabird' |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/vice-admiral-rajesh-dhankhar-takes-over-as-dg-of-project-seabird/articleshow/112871309.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2024-08-29 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}

References

Category:Indian military appointments

Category:Indian Navy appointments

Director General Project Seabird

Background

=Project Seabird=

List of Directors General

See also

References