By A Correspondent

New Delhi: In a clear message to India’s defence industry and global partners, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Nov. 4, 2025, said that in today’s world of complex and evolving threats, “no nation stands secure alone,” emphasising that shared defence innovation is the strongest shield.

Speaking at the India Defence Conclave 2025, General Dwivedi outlined the Indian Army’s vision for capability-driven transformation and the importance of collaborative innovation, both domestically and internationally.

He said India’s “two-and-a-half front challenge” and the “post-Operation Sindoor empowerment” had given the armed forces new flexibility for “spiral development and induction” of advanced systems.

‘From Dependence to Dominance’

“The future of warfighting will not be defined by any single domain or doctrine, but by how decisively we convert ideas into enduring capabilities,” General Dwivedi told a gathering of senior officers, defence experts, and industry leaders.

He described the military’s technological evolution as a journey “from dependence to dominance, from preparing for the future to possessing it.”

Calling strategic partnerships a ‘bridge of opportunity’, the Army Chief said while research and development determine what a nation can create, partnerships expand what it can access.

“Certain technologies will never come to us on a platter. We must collaborate under terms of shared benefits and local control,” he noted, citing BrahMos and K9 Vajra as success stories of joint development.

‘Zero to One’ Innovation and Dual-Use Technologies

General Dwivedi stressed that the most critical phase of innovation is moving “from zero to one” — from concept to creation. Once the foundation is laid, scaling up and improving become far easier, he explained.

He highlighted how the Army is harnessing dual-use technologies and adapting techniques to evolving battlefields, pointing to drone warfare as a prime example.

The force, he said, is closely engaged with national missions in quantum, space, and 6G communications as part of a “whole-of-nation” approach to capability building.

Civil-Military Fusion and R&D Imperative

The Army Chief underscored the importance of military-civil fusion, calling it the “anchor at home” that complements international partnerships. “The troika of transformation — academia, industry, and the military — must work in synergy,” he said, adding that while academia innovates, industry must incubate, and the military must imbibe.

General Dwivedi urged the private sector to invest in AI, cyber systems, autonomous platforms, quantum technologies, and advanced materials, not only to meet operational requirements but to strengthen India’s defence exports.

He cited indigenous systems like the Akash Air Defence missile, ATAGS artillery gun, and light tank Zorawar as examples of how indigenous capability is gaining momentum.

Automation, Efficiency, and the ‘Currency of Victory’

Looking ahead, the Army Chief said the force is pursuing man-unmanned teaming and full automation to double its operational efficiency without increasing manpower. “The efficiency of the same manpower must go 1.5 to 2 times,” he remarked, urging industry support for advanced equipment.

Even as warfare becomes more fluid and technology-driven, Gen Dwivedi asserted that “land remains the currency of victory.”

The real challenge for modern militaries, he said, lies in translating evolving ideas into deployable warfighting capabilities through sustained conceptualisation, experimentation, and innovation.

Concluding his address, he summed up the essence of India’s military transformation in three words: “Thought, Technology, and Tenacity.”

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