Pranav Birje | Senior Correspondent
Rear Admiral Nelson AJ D’Souza, NM, Indian Navy (Retired), has joined as Director (Operations) at GSL. His extensive technical knowledge, strategic leadership, and distinguished Naval career are set to significantly bolster GSL’s shipbuilding and repair capabilities.
Rear Admiral D’Souza, a native of Mangaluru, brings a wealth of experience to GSL. Prior to this appointment, he served with distinction as the Commandant of the Military Institute of Technology (MILIT), Pune. During his tenure at MILIT, he was instrumental in fortifying academic initiatives, enhancing tri-services integration, and fostering critical industry-academia collaborations in advanced technologies, preparing officers from India’s armed forces and allied nations for future defence challenges.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy in March 1991, Rear Admiral D’Souza’s illustrious 34-year naval career is marked by diverse and significant appointments. An alumnus of St. Aloysius College, Mangaluru, and SJCE Mysuru, he holds a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. He is also a distinguished graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and the Naval War College, Goa.
Throughout his service, he held pivotal roles including Chief Staff Officer (Technical) at the Eastern Naval Command, Principal Director (Weapon Equipment) at Naval Headquarters, and General Manager (Refit) at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. His operational experience includes serving onboard frontline warships such as INS Viraat, INS Kirch, and INS Mysore. For his distinguished service, he was conferred the prestigious Nau Sena Medal in 2018.
As Director (Operations) at GSL, Rear Admiral D’Souza (IN, Retd) will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s crucial shipbuilding and repair operations. His leadership is anticipated to play a vital role in strengthening India’s maritime defence infrastructure and driving GSL’s contributions towards the nation’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ mission for defence self-reliance.