The Indian Army has drawn up plans to modernise a number of its ordnance depots, that stockpile weapons and equipment, by overhauling their ageing and dilapidated infrastructure and introducing contemporary inventory management processes.
The plan covers four central ordnance depots, the largest in the supply echelon, 12 regional ordnance depots and three armoured divisional ordnance units, all of which function under the purview of the Director General Ordnance Services at Army HQs.
Ordnance depots are different from ammunition depots, and provision, receive, account, manage and issue a variety of military stores items such as clothes, vehicles, technical equipment and other gadgets. These are located all across the country in accordance with the strategic and tactical requirements of the Army.
The modernisation project will be undertaken by the private industry on a turn-key basis, which would be required to prepare detailed project reports (DPR) for every depot. The requirement of each depot would vary depending upon its geographical location, layout and the type of inventory held by it.
“With the passage of time and availability of most modern gadgets, there is also an urgent need of modernisation to equip these depots with contemporary logistics tools and practices to meet the users’ aspirations,” a request for proposal issued by the Army on January 16 states.
“Requirement of modernising the depots is inescapable, since most of the depots have infrastructure more than five- to six-decade-old and is dilapidated. The repair cost to the same is also expected to be on a higher side,” the RFP adds.
The modernisation proposal for the depots envisages a compact layout with efficient space management to include modern warehousing, automated and mechanical storage and retrieval systems, modern material handling equipment and overall development of the complex and open areas.
Depots’ tele-communication systems, fire-fighting and safety infrastructure, power supply system, security cover and electrical facilities would be upgraded, besides provision of an ergonomic working environment.
The current and futuristic storage requirements would be identified and the best suited storage and retrieval system for the currently authorised inventory as well as the anticipated inventory of the future would be ascertained in the DPR.
The modernisation and upgradation of existing workshops and associated infrastructure to cater for current and future requirements would be suggested in line with contemporary industrial standards.
