Contents
Introduction
Modern warfare is increasingly multi-domain, automated, and technology-driven, making traditional force-centric strategies inadequate. India must recalibrate its defense preparedness to remain agile, resilient, and capable in a rapidly evolving global threat landscape.
Evolving Nature of Warfare: From Kinetics to Complexity
- Warfare has transformed from physical combat and state-on-state conventional war to multi-domain, hybrid, and network-centric operations.
- Conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas, and the May 2025 India-Pakistan skirmish showcase: Drones and loitering munitions replacing manned reconnaissance, use of AI and image-recognition algorithms to autonomously identify and strike targets, widespread cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure.
- Deployment of hypersonic weapons (e.g., Russia’s Kinzhal missile, China’s DF-ZF) and long-range UAVs like the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper.
- Warfare today demands speed, precision, and multi-domain coordination, including land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace — far beyond conventional physical force projection.
Strategic Challenges for India
- Technological Backwardness and Delayed Indigenisation: While India has acquired Rafale jets, S-400s, and BrahMos missiles, its indigenous efforts — such as the Tejas Mk-2, AMCA, and Ghatak UCAV — lag behind China’s J-20 and its upcoming sixth-generation fighters. China already operates robust ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) drone networks and has invested heavily in autonomous swarming systems.
- Two-Front War and Grey-Zone Threats: India faces a two-front threat from China and Pakistan, compounded by proxy actors and hybrid tactics. Cyber-intrusions targeting Indian infrastructure (e.g., 2020 Mumbai power grid attack), and disinformation campaigns highlight non-kinetic vulnerabilities.
- Dependence on Imported Technology: India remains the world’s largest arms importer (SIPRI 2024), increasing strategic vulnerability during protracted conflicts. Critical delays in platforms like high-altitude UAVs, hypersonics, and satellite resilience amplify this concern.
Adapting India’s Defence Strategy
- Modernisation of Doctrines and Forces: Integrated Theatre Commands (ITCs) must focus on inter-service synergy, essential for rapid deployment and multi-domain coordination. Doctrines need to prioritise network-centric warfare, rapid response, and electronic dominance.
- Focus on Emerging Technologies: AI-based threat detection, quantum communication, blockchain for logistics, and swarm drone technologies must be integrated into R&D. DRDO and startups under Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) should be incentivised for quick deployment, not just experimentation.
- Cyber and Space Command: Elevate Defence Cyber Agency and Defence Space Agency into fully operational tri-service commands. Cyber-warfare drills, offensive cyber capabilities, and satellite resilience must be prioritised.
- Indigenous Manufacturing and Strategic Autonomy: Boost defence self-reliance through Production-Linked Incentives (PLIs), strategic partnerships, and the Make in India initiative. Enhance public-private joint R&D ecosystems in key areas like stealth, AI, and autonomous systems.
- Human Capital and Tactical Reorientation: Revamp military training to focus on AI warfare, drone tactics, cyber warfare, and multi-domain operations. Encourage tactical decentralisation and real-time decision-making through smart command systems.
Case Examples of Success
- Operation Sindoor (2025) showcased India’s use of loitering munitions, fixed-wing drones, and BrahMos for precision targeting.
- Cities like Surat have integrated biomining AI systems for resilience, reflecting India’s readiness to merge technology with policy.
Conclusion
India must evolve beyond traditional militarism to a future-ready defense posture rooted in agility, innovation, and indigenisation to effectively counter rising multidimensional threats in a technologically fluid global environment.
