Emphasising that battlefields of tomorrow will not recognise service boundaries, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has called for swift and decisive joint responses across domains to ensure victory in future wars.
He was delivering the keynote address at RAN SAMWAD, a first-of-its-kind Tri-service seminar on war, warfare & warfighting, on the theme ‘Impact of Technology on Warfare’ at the Army War College in Dr Ambedkar Nagar, Madhya Pradesh on August 26, 2025.
Terming Aatmanirbharta in defence and integrated logistics as key to emerge victorious in the wars to come, the CDS reaffirmed that ‘jointness’ is foundational to India’s transformation. He underscored the need to institutionalise joint training and absorb constantly-evolving technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cyber and Quantum to enhance operational capability.
For a robust civil-military integration, he voiced the importance & commitment to develop Sudarshan Chakra (India’s Own Iron Dome) which will act as both ‘A Shield and A Sword’, and said that developing capabilities in multiple domains is central for attaining victory in future wars.
Citing Kautilya, General Anil Chauhan stated that India has been a fountainhead of ideas and knowledge since ancient times, however, very little literature on Scholarly Analysis of Indian Wars or academic discourse on strategy exists.
“Serious research needs to be done on various dimensions of war, leadership, motivation, morale and technology. India needs to be Sashakt, Surakshit, Aatmanirbhar and Viksit. This can only be achieved when all stakeholders participate collectively in the process of building future ready forces,” he said.
The CDS pointed out that the idea of RAN SAMWAD is to create space for actual practitioners, especially young and middle level officers, who are aware of technological advancements. He stated that there is a need to hear their point of view thus creating an ecosystem wherein symphony and harmony among new ideas co-exist with the experience provided by the personnel.
The two-day seminar brings serving military professionals to the forefront of strategic dialogue. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will deliver the plenary address on the second and final day. A few Joint Doctrines and the Technology Perspective & Capability Roadmap will also be released during the event.