Vice Admiral Iftikhar Ahmed Rao (retd) has more than 40 years of maritime experience. He has served on-board and commanded ships and is also a naval aviator, giving him vast experience of the coast. He raised PNS Makran at Pasni, as its first Commanding Officer and then raised PN’s Coastal Command as a flag officer and diligently worked for development of Pakistan’s coast. He has been Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Operations) and was a member of Gwadar Port Implementation Committee at the start of the port project and actively contributed to its development. As Managing Director of Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works, he is credited with its turnaround. He remained an advisor to the Government of Pakistan for the development of shipbuilding industry and is considered the brains behind the conception of this industry’s development, its vision and plan for Pakistan, which has been approved by the Prime Minister. He has been an advisor to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, too. His recent book Elements of Blue Economy, is considered widely in Pakistan’s maritime circles and academia as a pioneering work in this domain. He is a regular speaker at National Defence University, Staff Colleges, National School of Public Policy, and seminars on maritime affairs.