Naval Career
Nanda enlisted into the Royal Indian Navy Volunteer Reserve during World War II on 11 October 1941. He stayed in the Navy despite rapid, large-scale demobilization at the end of the war. After independence in 1947, he opted to join the Indian Navy. In 1948, he was appointed First Lieutenant on board INS Delhi (1948) under the command of Captain H.N.S Brown, with then Lieutenant Commander Ram Dass Katari as his Executive Officer.
From 1949 to 1951, he served as the Director of Personnel Services. In 1951, he took command of the R class destroyer, INS Ranjit (1942). He was also the commanding officer of the navy's Frigate Squadron. He was later transferred back to Naval Headquarters as Chief of Personnel. He was promoted to Commodore in 1957, and sent to England to commission the Fiji class cruiser, INS Mysore (1957), as her Commanding Officer. Later, he was appointed Director General of the Naval Dockyards and undertook a major expansion of the dockyards. He then attended the Imperial Defence College and was appointed Chief of Materials upon his return. Nanda was promoted to Rear Admiral and appointed Deputy Chief of Naval Staff in May 1962. He was appointed Managing Director of Mazagon Dock Limited in December 1964 and undertook preparations for the construction of Nilgiri class frigates, the first major naval vessels to be constructed in India. Given the difficulty India had in negotiating the purchase of INS Vikrant (R11) from the UK, Nanda supported the acquisition of equipment from the Soviet Union.
The 1962 Sino-Indian War was largely fought over the Himalayas and the Navy did not have a major role. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Navy was ordered to stay within Indian waters. When the Pakistani Navy bombarded Dwarka, Nanda recognized the need to raise the Navy's profile and capabilities.
Read more about this topic: Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda
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