Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, who served as Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) during Operation Sindoor, said on Thursday that Pakistan had "compelled to negotiate" with India and "requested to stop" strikes against the country during the operation last year.
Ghai was addressing a press conference on one year of Operation Sindoor, a military operation undertaken against Pakistan-based terror infrastructures post the Pahalgam terror attack. He described the military operation as possibly a "defining moment" in India's strategic journey.
He said the Union government gave the military two clear directions. "Clear objectives and the operational ability to achieve it." He added that the objectives to destroy terror ecosystems, disrupt their planning and deter future aggression from these bases were "very unambiguously spelt out" while the armed forces were provided with the resources to plan and execute the operation independently.
He called the balance between firm direction on the top, professional autonomy and flexibility at the operational level, the "key to success" of Operation Sindoor. Ghai said the operation is being as "gold standard", both militarily and strategically, across the world.
Highlighting the joint Tri-services' efforts, the former DGMO said it included nine standoff precision strikes, seven by the Army and two by the Air Force. He added: "The precisions were timed with perfection and inflicted maximum damage in each established terror hub, deep in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan heartland."
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai credited the "carefully and deliberately laid out" India's air defence architecture because of which Pakistan's attempted responses went in vain. Underlining the indigenous capability in the operation, he said a significant percentage of the weapon systems, ammunitions, rockets and missiles, sensors and electronic warfare suits, were developed and produced in India.
"The Brahmos, Akash (missile system), advanced surveillance and targeting systems along with indigenous ammunition, all played a decisive role," he added. He also said: "Indigenous equipment meant not only just self-reliance but the flexibility to tailor these to our operational requirements."
According to the former DGMO, Operation Sindoor proved that 'Aatmanirbhar' is not just a slogan but a "force multiplier". "Today over 65 percent of India's defence equipments are being manufactured domestically," he noted. Detailing about the exit strategy, Ghai clarified that India decided to cease hostilities when Pakistan was "compelled to negotiate and requested us to stop".
Referring to the "ill effects" of conflicts around the globe, he emphasised that the target of the operation was achieved "without locking India into a long-drawn war or conflict". Ghai credited all the arms of the Indian state for functioning in coordination.
He said that the intelligence agencies provided accurate information, critical to precision targeting; cyber and information warfare units maintained information dominance; the government managed international environment, internal security and public reassurance; the armed forces executed the kinetic phase with disciple, precision and minimal collateral impact.
Significantly, he also credited the Border Security Force (BSF). Ghai added that this "multi-agency, multi domain coordination" will remain the template for "future operations". Emphasising that Operation Sindoor was "just the beginning", the former DGMO concluded by quoting 'Jan Kavi' Dushyant Kumar Tyagi: "Sirf hungama khada karna mera maqsad nahi. Meri koshish hai ki yeh soorat badalni chahiye."
"India's fight against terror will go on. A year on, we remember not just the operation but also the principle behind it. India will defend its sovereignty, its security, and its people decisively, professionally and with the utmost responsibility," he asserted.
The press conference was also attended by Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, who served as Director General of Air Operations (DGAO) during Operation Sindoor, and Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod, Director General of Naval Operations (DGNO).