By A Correspondent

New Delhi: India’s armed forces are incorporating new lessons from Operation Sindoor into the country’s planned theaterisation model, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said on Nov. 4, 2025, underscoring a shift towards 24×7 operational readiness and advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities across Pakistan.

Speaking at the India Defence Conclave 2025, hosted by Bharat Shakti, General Chauhan said that the recent decisive operation in May had offered valuable insights that must shape future joint command structures.

“Post Operation Sindoor, there are some more lessons we have learned, and I need to incorporate them into the model we have worked out,” he said.

The CDS underlined that the new strategic “normal” for the Indian military involves constant readiness, advanced air defence systems, counter-drone (UAS) operations, and robust electronic warfare capabilities.

“We should have our ISR and kinetic operation capabilities across the length and breadth of Pakistan: that would be, I think, the new normal,” he emphasised.

A New Normal in Warfare

General Chauhan explained that the changing character of warfare demands technological superiority and adaptability. “The last time we targeted, maybe just static targets. We may have to think of engagements of mobile targets in the future,” he said, hinting at a doctrinal evolution in India’s precision-strike capabilities.

He also remarked that while India’s military embraces change, “the adversary will also change, and accept this new normal.”

The CDS clarified that his post does not carry an operational mandate but plays a key role in fostering synergy among the three services: the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Referring to the Combined Commanders’ Conference 2025, held for the first time in eastern India at Kolkata from Sep. 15 to 17, General Chauhan noted that the choice of location was itself “a message” reflecting India’s strategic outreach in the region.

Theaterisation and Integrated Command Structure

The ongoing theaterisation reform, one of India’s most ambitious defence restructuring efforts, seeks to integrate the country’s military commands into unified theatre commands, each responsible for a specific geographic region.

These joint commands will bring together assets from all three services to improve coordination and combat efficiency. Currently, the Army, Navy, and Air Force operate separate commands, which sometimes leads to overlapping responsibilities and slower decision-making.

General Chauhan said the restructured model will draw on lessons from multiple past operations, including Uri, Balakot, Galwan, Doklam, and COVID, to ensure the armed forces are ready “for all seasons.”

“The experiences of these operations need to be amalgamated into an organisational structure that is responsive, flexible, and forward-looking,” he said.

Coordinating the Top Brass

In a lighter moment, General Chauhan quipped that one of the biggest post-operation challenges has been finding time for all the service chiefs and the CDS to meet together. “There is not one day when all four of us — the three Service chiefs and the CDS — are in Delhi,” he said.

As India moves toward operational integration and self-reliance in defence, Operation Sindoor stands out as a watershed moment shaping the nation’s evolving military doctrine.

The upcoming theatre commands are expected to make India’s armed forces more agile, networked, and capable of responding swiftly to emerging threats across multiple domains.

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