Rear Admiral Nelson A J D’Souza, a respected figure in the Indian Navy from Mangaluru, has recently assumed the position of Director (Operations) at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). This esteemed public sector undertaking operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence and plays a pivotal role in India’s maritime industry.
With a wealth of over 30 years in naval operations, technical expertise, and defense infrastructure management, Rear Admiral D’Souza is poised to make significant contributions to GSL. Before taking on this new role, he served as the Commandant of the Military Institute of Technology (MILIT) in Pune, where he was instrumental in modernizing defense training and fostering tri-service collaboration, as well as enhancing partnerships between industry and academia.
D’Souza’s naval journey began when he was commissioned in March 1991. He is a proud alumnus of St Aloysius College in Mangaluru and SJCE in Mysuru, where he earned his degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. His pursuit of strategic and operational excellence continued at both the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington and the Naval War College in Goa.
During his career, he has held several key leadership positions, 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 in Mumbai. His extensive experience also includes serving on notable Indian warships like INS Viraat, INS Kirch, and INS Mysore. In recognition of his exemplary service, he was awarded the Nau Sena Medal in 2018.
Hailing from Kalpane, Kulshekar, Rear Admiral D’Souza is the son of the late Lancelot and Winnifred D’Souza. He is married to Shylon D’Souza, whose parents are the late A B Rodrigues and Florine Rodrigues. The couple is blessed with two sons, Nihal and Shawn.
In his capacity as Director (Operations) at GSL, Rear Admiral D’Souza will be responsible for overseeing critical shipbuilding and repair operations. His leadership is expected to enhance India’s maritime self-reliance efforts aligned with the Make in India initiative, further cementing GSL’s role in advancing the nation’s defense manufacturing capabilities.
