The New Face of War: Defence Minister's Call for Readiness Against Unconventional Threats
On 17 September 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urged the armed forces to prepare for “invisible” threats stemming from information warfare, ideological manipulation, ecological disturbances, and biological threats. His remarks are situated within the Sudarshan Chakra vision—a roadmap to transform India’s defence forces into a technologically advanced, self-reliant, and joint fighting force equipped to secure national interests amid evolving security challenges. The timing of this call is no coincidence; the Indian Army is observing 2023–2032 as its “Decade of Transformation,” with 2024–25 designated as the “Years of Technology Absorption.”
The central question, however, is whether the vision articulated is commensurate with the pace and scale of execution, or if it risks becoming yet another aspirational slogan devoid of traction. This tension is amplified as India contends with conventional threats from regional adversaries alongside rapidly emerging domains like cyber warfare and AI-enabled combat. The stakes are high—but so are the hurdles.
The Roadmap for Defence Transformation
The Sudarshan Chakra vision is grounded in key policy instruments and institutional mechanisms. A committee has been established to draft five-year (medium term) and ten-year (long term) roadmaps aligning with the vision. Transformation involves seven critical focus areas:
- Force Structuring: Building a lethal and efficient combat-ready force.
- Technology Induction: Prioritising AI, robotics, cyber capabilities, and electronic warfare.
- Jointness: Emphasising tri-service synergy through Integrated Theatre Commands.
- Infrastructure Development: Modernising operational logistics.
- Human Resource Development: Training personnel for multi-domain operations.
- Defence Industrial Corridors: Boosting indigenous defence production, including corridors in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
- Atmanirbharta: Promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the “Make in India” agenda.
Under a ₹15,900 crore allocation for defence modernisation in this financial year alone, the government claims to surface cutting-edge capabilities in cyber, ML (machine learning), hypersonics, and robotics. Moreover, 2025’s designation as the “Year of Reforms” aims to accelerate acquisition procedures and establish leadership in emerging domains. The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 explicitly favours indigenous production while prioritising technologies critical for multi-domain operations. Real-world initiatives like the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) provide the backbone for real-time coordination among service branches—an essential move given India’s multi-front threat matrix.
The Case for Transformation
The strongest argument for such reform lies in the changing nature of warfare. The Ukraine-Russia conflict has showcased how cyberattacks, drone swarms, and ML-enabled decision-making can define outcomes in combat. India's own vulnerability, given its two-front pressure from Pakistan and China, demands urgency. For instance, China’s exponential military modernisation—from hypersonic missiles to AI-powered surveillance—creates a strategic asymmetry. Pakistan’s reliance on proxy wars further complicates India’s defence posture. Without technological and doctrinal advancement, India risks stagnating in a traditional warfare paradigm that feels increasingly obsolete.
Operational readiness, too, needs a rethink. Modern conflicts are often swift and high-intensity. Jointness—where the Army, Navy, and Air Force operate under unified commands—not only enhances synergy but reduces redundancy and improves responsiveness. Exercises such as Prachand Prahar and Desert Hunt point to India's growing emphasis on multi-domain coordination. Integrating AI and machine learning into tactical operations would amplify this responsiveness, potentially allowing predictive intelligence to drive military decision-making in real-time.
The Case Against: The Institutional Gaps
Yet, optimism must be tempered with institutional realism. India's defence modernisation faces structural bottlenecks that cannot be papered over by slogans. Despite substantial budgets, the pace of implementation remains staggeringly slow. For example, technological induction often falters due to delays in procurement decisions, as evidenced by the yet-to-be-empowered Defence Procurement Authority conceived years ago. Similarly, defence industrial corridors, while promising, have struggled to attract investment commensurate with initial ambitions. The Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh corridors accounted for less than 20% of new defence contracts over 2024.
Human capital gaps further exacerbate the issue. Officers with higher-level expertise in AI systems, space operations, and strategic thinking remain far and few. The current system of professional military education (PME) is mired in rank-based progression and traditional curricula. Without recalibration towards adaptive, technology-centric training, long-term gains in doctrinal precision and operational readiness will remain illusory.
Beyond this, coordination issues between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and armed forces create a fragmented response to procurement and policy planning. Despite the establishment of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Department of Military Affairs (DMA), civil-military dysfunction persists, delaying critical decisions. When juxtaposed against geopolitical exigencies, this lag in synergy and execution renders India vulnerable in scenarios requiring rapid mobilisation and response.
International Lesson: The United States' Pivot to Multi-Domain Operations
The U.S. offers a compelling case study on navigating similar challenges. Initiatives like Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) are aimed at synchronising operations across land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains. Fully developed doctrines now incorporate “data-centric warfare” based on AI algorithms for real-time battlefield analysis. Their success lies in three factors: doctrinal cohesion, expedited technology induction, and civil-military interface reforms. Crucially, Congress streamlined defence procurement laws by cutting red tape through the National Defense Authorization Act, allowing faster mobilisation of cutting-edge technologies. India must learn from this decisive legislative and operational overhaul to achieve its own Sudarshan Chakra ambitions.
Where Things Stand: Risk of Aspirational Stagnation
India’s defence overhaul remains at an inflection point. While the broad roadmap under Sudarshan Chakra is promising, the risk lies not in intent but execution. Multi-domain operations cannot remain buzzwords; they require radical restructuring of training protocols, procurement processes, and inter-service coordination mechanisms. Budget increases alone will not suffice if systemic inefficiencies persist unchecked. Despite the momentum, visible gaps in human capital and indigenous technological readiness remain India's Achilles' heel.
The clock is ticking, and much depends on leadership at the highest levels to push through reforms decisively—to avoid aspirational stagnation and instead deliver a truly modern and adaptive fighting force ready for the invisible wars of the 21st century.
Exam Integration
- Q1: The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 prioritises which of the following?
- A. Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in defence sector
- B. Indigenous design, development, and manufacturing
- C. Increased loans for defence imports
- D. Formation of Integrated Theatre Commands
- Q2: Which organisational initiative aims to enhance tri-service jointness in India?
- A. Defence Industrial Corridors
- B. Integrated Theatre Commands
- C. Sudarshan Chakra Vision
- D. Joint All-Domain Command
Practice Questions for UPSC
Prelims Practice Questions
- Unconventional threats can include information warfare and ideological manipulation, requiring responses beyond conventional military force.
- A focus on jointness mainly increases duplication across services, but can be justified for ceremonial coordination.
- Integrating AI/ML into operations is presented as a means to improve real-time responsiveness and decision-making in high-intensity conflicts.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- DAP 2020 is described as favouring indigenous production while prioritising technologies critical for multi-domain operations.
- Defence industrial corridors are portrayed as unambiguously successful, having already captured most new defence contracts.
- Slow procurement and institutional delays (including an unempowered Defence Procurement Authority) are cited as bottlenecks to technology induction.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the article mean by “invisible” or unconventional threats, and why do they matter for India’s security planning?
The article frames “invisible” threats as non-traditional risks such as information warfare, ideological manipulation, ecological disturbances, and biological threats. These matter because they can weaken national security without a conventional battlefield, demanding preparedness beyond tanks and infantry. The implication is that doctrine, training, and technology must adapt to multi-domain conflict conditions.
How does the Sudarshan Chakra vision link policy intent with force transformation, and what mechanisms are mentioned to operationalise it?
The vision is presented as a roadmap to create a technologically advanced, self-reliant, and joint fighting force to secure national interests amid evolving threats. To operationalise it, a committee is tasked to draft five-year and ten-year roadmaps aligned with the vision. This signals an attempt to convert broad goals into timed deliverables rather than leaving reform at the level of rhetoric.
Why is “jointness” emphasised, and how does it improve operational outcomes in modern conflicts as per the article?
Jointness is emphasised because modern conflicts are swift and high-intensity, requiring the Army, Navy, and Air Force to act under unified commands to enhance synergy. The article argues it reduces redundancy and improves responsiveness, especially in a multi-front threat environment. Integrated Theatre Commands and systems like IACCS are presented as enabling real-time coordination across services.
What is the article’s rationale for prioritising AI, cyber, robotics and electronic warfare in defence transformation?
The article links these technologies to the changing character of war, citing the Ukraine–Russia conflict where cyberattacks, drone swarms, and ML-enabled decision-making influenced combat outcomes. It argues that integrating AI/ML can amplify responsiveness through predictive intelligence and real-time decision support. Without such induction, India risks remaining stuck in an obsolete, traditional warfare paradigm.
What institutional and implementation challenges does the article identify that could slow or dilute defence modernisation?
The article highlights structural bottlenecks like slow procurement decisions and delays in empowering a Defence Procurement Authority that was conceived years ago. It also notes that defence industrial corridors have not attracted investment commensurate with ambitions, with Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh together accounting for less than 20% of new defence contracts over 2024. Additionally, human-capital gaps and a rank-based professional military education system are flagged as constraints on building expertise in AI, space operations, and strategic thinking.
Source: LearnPro Editorial | Economy | Published: 17 September 2025 | Last updated: 3 March 2026
About LearnPro Editorial Standards
LearnPro editorial content is researched and reviewed by subject matter experts with backgrounds in civil services preparation. Our articles draw from official government sources, NCERT textbooks, standard reference materials, and reputed publications including The Hindu, Indian Express, and PIB.
Content is regularly updated to reflect the latest syllabus changes, exam patterns, and current developments. For corrections or feedback, contact us at admin@learnpro.in.