Indian Army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday said that 'Operation Sindoor' remains ongoing and that all three services of the Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high level of preparedness for any future contingency, including what he described as 'Operation Sindoor 2.0', if the situation demands.
Addressing a press conference after the Passing Out Parade (POP) of the 150th Course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, General Dwivedi said that while hostilities have currently ceased, the Armed Forces continue to remain vigilant and prepared.
“Operation Sindoor is still continuing. There is a temporary cessation of hostilities. Therefore, the Indian Army, along with all three services, is preparing well for 'Operation Sindoor 2.0', if it takes place. Presently, we are focussed on enhancing synergy among the three services.
We are also equipping ourselves for the next generation of warfare,” he said. The Army Chief emphasised that the nature of warfare is evolving rapidly and future conflicts will extend far beyond the traditional domains of land, sea and air. “The future warfare will not be limited to land, maritime and air domains alone.
The new domains space, cyber and cognitive warfare will play a very important role,” General Dwivedi said. He noted that technological advancements have transformed battlefields into highly transparent environments where activities and troop movements are increasingly visible to adversaries in real time.
“What we have observed over time is that the battlefield operates 24/7 and has become highly transparent, with every movement being visible to the other side. Therefore, we have to be very cautious in terms of deployment, employment and the protection required to safeguard our troops as well as civilians living in border areas,” he said.
Speaking about the growing significance of information warfare, the Army Chief stressed that public trust and national unity are critical components of success during conflicts. “Victory is always in the mind, not on the ground. Therefore, information warfare is only successful if the whole nation comes together and trusts the people who are providing information.
If that happens, I can assure you that a nation whose people trust one another and all the stakeholders involved will always prevail in war,” he said. General Dwivedi also referred to 'Operation Sindoor' as an example of India’s capability to respond with precision and determination when required.
“Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s resolve and the Armed Forces’ ability to deliver a calibrated, precise and purposeful response. This operation underlined the importance of integrated planning, real-time Intelligence, precision targeting, strong air defence, secure communications and synergy across domains,” he said.
The Army Chief further stated that the Indian Army is fully aware of the rapid transformation taking place in the character of warfare and is undertaking significant efforts to adapt to future operational requirements. According to him, the force is actively transforming itself into a “future-ready force”, with technology, integration and jointness becoming increasingly important elements of military preparedness.
General Dwivedi added that the younger generation of officers and soldiers would play a pivotal role in driving this transformation and ensuring that the Armed Forces remain capable of addressing emerging security challenges across multiple domains in the years ahead.