Chief of Army Staff Chief Gen Manoj Pande said India is establishing defence wings at new locations worldwide. He also expressed the Army’s eagerness to expand the range and magnitude of collaborative military training and exercises with friendly foreign partner nations in an address at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue held on Friday in the capital.
Discussing India’s growing influence, he emphasized its authoritative presence on the global stage, characterised by a distinct identity deeply rooted in Indian values and an effective representation of the concerns of the Global South. The Chief of Army Staff also underscored the transformative impact of technology on geopolitics, not only influencing strategic competition but also shaping the nature of warfare and described India as the “bright spot” amidst despondency and geopolitical flux while drawing attention to the unprecedented churn in the global landscape, including the escalating conflict in West Asia and the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Technology’ is driving geo politics like never before. Transforming not only strategic competition but also warfighting. In fact, technology is emerging as a new strategic arena of geo-political competition. Even as Grey Zone contestations in non-traditional domains seem to be expanding, so does the probability and arch of all-out conflicts. Amidst such despondency, it is my belief that India remains a ‘bright spot’,” he said.
Gen Pande said the challenges we face are significant, but so are the opportunities and our collective wisdom and strength. It is through open dialogue and exchange of ideas that we will find innovative solutions to the challenges.
The Indian Army has organised the two-day defence dialogue in partnership with the think tank Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), in which Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar was the guest of honour. In his special address, the Vice President highlighted that it is important to leverage soft powers and economic prowess. He observed that Chanakya Defence Dialogue will assist in finding solutions to the challenges India and its neighbourhood are facing. He mentioned that national security is an aggregation of various attributes, and the military is just one part of it. The nation’s capabilities are enhanced by its economic strengths, diplomacy, innovative military industrial eco-system, robust R&D and private sector capabilities and emphasis on civil-military fusion.
Ravi Shankar
