Late Vice Admiral KK Nayyar, PVSM, AVSM Indian navy (1929–2018) was a towering figure in India’s maritime thought, a visionary strategist, and the driving force behind the National Maritime Foundation NMF. As its founder-chairman, he transformed the NMF into a beacon of maritime scholarship, towards dispelling India’s maritime blindness and shaping its strategic direction. A distinguished naval leader who commanded both the Eastern and Western Fleets, he was equally respected for his intellect and served on key national security and defence panels post-retirement. His unwavering passion for fostering robust maritime thinking lives on through the Vice Admiral KK Nayyar Fellowship, established by his family to support policy-relevant research, and the annual Vice Admiral KK Nayyar Memorial Lecture, instituted by the NMF.
This year, as we pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Late Vice Admiral KK Nayyar, we are deeply honoured to host Shri Ram Nath Kovind, Honourable Former President of India as the distinguished speaker for the memorial address.
