18 October 2025 |
India’s biggest military conclave since the success of Operation Sindoor
brought together the country’s top military minds to discuss lessons,
challenges, and the evolving nature of warfare. The discussions reflected
India’s growing confidence in its military power and its readiness for future
conflicts across all domains — land, air, maritime, space, and cyber.
Lt Gen Sumer Ivan D’cunha, SM, DG & Colonel Commandant, Army Air
Defence
Lt Gen D’cunha delivered a series of candid and strategic remarks that
underscored both operational readiness and information dominance.
He cautioned Pakistan bluntly:
“I hope Pakistan doesn’t want Operation Sindoor 2, as they’ve
understood their lesson and we called their bluff. Between drones and hyper sonics,
we must maintain a full spectrum of air defence.”
Reflecting on the importance of narrative warfare, he added:
“Pakistan was exploiting information gaps during Operation Sindoor.
What we failed to do was challenge their version early. We should have led a
counter-narrative instead of a defensive one.”
Finally, D’cunha captured the spirit of contemporary conflict:
“India–Pakistan conflict continues — sometimes kinetic, sometimes not.
We are already in the tactical battle area. This is the age of Krishna —
where high morality coexists with cunning strategy. That’s the reality we must
master.”
Lt Gen Dushyant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd), Director General, CLAWS
Lt Gen Singh reflected on the collective resilience and unity of India
during Operation Sindoor:
“How do we protect our population centres? Our faith and our unity must
be our strength. As our Prime Minister said, it is our Sudarshan Chakra.
The way the nation rallied together — across religions and communities — was
truly remarkable.”
Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, SYSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, DCOAS (Strategy)
Lt Gen Ghai described Operation Sindoor as a landmark in India’s
strategic evolution:
“Operation Sindoor will be remembered not just for its tactical
brilliance, but for redefining India’s strategic posture. It showed that
national resolve, institutional integration, and indigenous innovation can
ensure victory in the most complex operational environments.”
He highlighted the role of political clarity in the success of the
operation:
“We emerged victorious because we had political clarity and strategic
coherence when we launched calibrated strikes across the Line of Control. It
demonstrated that decisive force can coexist with nuclear stability.”
On lessons learned, he elaborated:
“We broke old assumptions about cross-border responses. The aim was to
neutralise terror infrastructure while avoiding uncontrolled escalation.
Surprise, momentum, and proportionality were our guiding principles. We also
learned the importance of preplanned perception management to counter
misinformation effectively.”
Concluding his remarks, Lt Gen Ghai reaffirmed his faith in India’s
soldiers:
“The Indian Army has the best soldiers in the world — disciplined,
professional, and driven by an unshakable sense of duty.”
Brig Sushil Tanwar, VSM
Speaking on intelligence challenges, Brig Tanwar underlined
accountability and learning from experience:
“There’s no shame in admitting that failures happen — but one must
ensure they’re not repeated. The cost of intelligence failure is always high.
Ambiguity in inputs must be removed by the handler to give the commander a
clear picture.”
Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod, AVSM, YSM, Director General Naval Operations
Vice Admiral Pramod outlined the Navy’s operational readiness and its
contribution to Operation Sindoor:
“Operation Sindoor reaffirmed the Indian Navy’s combat readiness
and technological edge. The Vikrant Carrier Battle Group was at the centre of
operations, and our largely indigenous assets performed exceptionally well.”
He emphasized the Navy’s future direction:
“Moving forward, the Indian Navy is steadfast in its commitment to
tri-service synergy guided by the Prime Minister’s vision of JAI —
Jointness, Aatmanirbharta, and Innovation. These principles define our
transformation into a modern, self-reliant maritime force.”
Highlighting non-traditional threats, he noted:
“Beyond traditional state threats, challenges such as piracy, illegal
fishing, human and arms trafficking, and maritime terrorism require us to
constantly innovate for maritime security.”
Reaffirming the Navy’s long-term commitment, he added:
“The Indian Navy will continue contributing to the national aspiration
of Viksit Bharat 2047 as a builder’s Navy — strong, self-reliant, and
visionary.”
Lt Gen Devendra Sharma
Lt Gen Sharma provided a broader geopolitical perspective on the
changing global order and India’s place within it:
“We live in an age of multipolarity, contestation, and fragmentation —
defined by economic and technological realignments. The certainties of the
post–World War era are fading, giving way to complex power dynamics. In this
world, India’s role is increasingly significant.”
He analysed the ongoing great-power competition:
“The dominant global theme today is the strategic rivalry between the
U.S. and China. China has overtaken the U.S. in industrial capacity, but
America’s policy towards Beijing remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Russia and China
have found common cause against the West.”
Drawing lessons for India, he stressed adaptability:
“The character of war is changing. Non-state actors can influence global
politics overnight. Nations must anticipate rather than react.”
Synthesis and Takeaways
The Forces First Conclave 2025 demonstrated the maturity of India’s
defence leadership — intellectually confident, operationally prepared, and
strategically coherent.
Across all service branches, a few consistent themes emerged:
- Operational Preparedness and Deterrence: India is ready to respond across multiple domains, with lessons
from Operation Sindoor integrated into doctrine.
- Information Dominance: The importance of shaping the narrative — not merely reacting — is
now a central military lesson.
- Jointness and Aatmanirbharta: Indigenous systems and inter-service coordination have redefined
India’s warfighting capability.
- National Unity and Confidence: The operation, and the conclave that followed, reinforced faith
among citizens in the armed forces’ professionalism and foresight.
The conclave, hosted by Republic Media Network in collaboration
with CLAWS, also highlighted a new phase in India’s strategic
communication — where the media, think tanks, and the military work in
concert to strengthen national resolve and global perception.
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