The Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, on September 9, 2025, emphasised the critical need for India to maintain a technological edge over its adversaries to stay ahead in modern warfare.

Speaking at the 52nd National Management Convention organised by the All-India Management Association (AIMA) in New Delhi, he stressed that the "goalposts will keep changing" as adversaries continually upgrade their capabilities, making it imperative for India to keep pace with technological advancements through self-reliance or Atmanirbharta.

He highlighted that if the current capability allows targeting at 100 km, adversaries will extend theirs to 300 km, necessitating continuous upgrades to maintain superiority.

Dwivedi cited recent Army operational experience where long-range rockets, missiles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), and loitering munitions were effectively deployed, referencing adversary use of UCAVs from Turkey and China via Pakistan and India’s own indigenous responses.

He presented an overview of India’s successes during Operation Sindoor, describing it as a whole-of-nation approach combining soldiers, commanders, scientists, and policymakers in a pre-emptive manner.

A key innovation highlighted was the deployment of an indigenously developed secure mobile ecosystem called SAMBHAV (Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version) during Operation Sindoor.

This platform, based on 5G technology and multi-tier encryption, replaced commercial apps like WhatsApp to provide a secure, real-time operational and intelligence picture accessible to all commanders on a unified platform. The system facilitated secure joint command and control communications and is currently being upgraded to more advanced versions.

Turning to future technologies, General Dwivedi pointed out the current operational range of Indian loitering munitions at 100-150 km and envisaged a future with swarm drones and loitering munitions extending operational reach up to 750 km. He also stressed ongoing efforts to upgrade missile ranges in line with evolving threats and technological competition.

His remarks underscored that maintaining a technological edge through indigenous development, sustained upgrades, and operational integration will be essential for India to counter its "two-and-a-half-front" threats and secure battlefield dominance, particularly emphasising land control as the ultimate currency of victory in the country’s strategic context.

Gen Dwivedi’s address encapsulated the Indian Army’s dual focus on leveraging advanced technologies including AI, drone swarms, secure digitised communication, and missile systems, while reinforcing the primacy of physical ground dominance in defence strategy amid evolving global and regional military trends.

Agencies