NE DEFENCE BUREAU
NEW DELHI/SECUNDERABAD, FEB 25
India has unveiled a decisive strategic blueprint to simultaneously strengthen indigenous defence manufacturing and prepare its armed forces for the era of intelligent, multi-domain warfare—marking a transformational shift in the country’s military and diplomatic posture.
Addressing Indian Foreign Service (IFS) trainee officers at South Block, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reaffirmed the government’s firm commitment to expanding India’s indigenous defence industry for both domestic capability and global exports under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.
- Defence Minister tells IFS officers indigenous defence manufacturing and exports key to strategic autonomy under Aatmanirbhar Bharat
- Indian diplomats to serve as global force multipliers in defence diplomacy, technology partnerships, and export expansion
- CDS General Anil Chauhan calls for transition to ‘Intelligent Warfare’ and All-Realm All-Domain Operations to counter emerging threats
- MITRA seminar charts roadmap for technology-driven, resilient armed forces capable of winning across physical, cyber, and cognitive domains
“The Government of India is determined to expand the capacity of indigenous defence industry for both local production and exports under Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and Indian diplomats have a crucial role in realising this vision,” he said.
The Defence Minister highlighted India’s remarkable transformation from a major defence importer into an emerging manufacturer and exporter of advanced military platforms across domains.
“India has traversed a long distance from being a major importer of defence equipment to a manufacturer and exporter of platforms in all domains,” he noted.
He emphasised that India’s rise is being closely watched by the global community, urging diplomats to uphold the nation’s prestige and values abroad.
“While conducting your duties abroad, always remember that you represent the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Remain open to new ideas, people, and perspectives, and carry with you the values of India’s civilisational wisdom,” he told the officers.
The 2025 batch comprises 55 trainee officers, including 53 Indian officers and two from Bhutan. Prior to the interaction, the officers were briefed on defence diplomacy, defence acquisition, tri-service integration, and India’s growing strategic capabilities by officials of the Ministry of Defence.
Future Wars Will Be Intelligent, Integrated, and Multi-Domain: CDS
A two days Annual Seminar 2026 of #CDM_IDS on theme MITRA – Multi-Domain Integrated Technologically-Empowered Resilient Armed Forces with @ISBedu as Knowledge Partner is being held at College of Defence Management.
General Anil Chauhan #CDS delivered a keynote address… pic.twitter.com/f3lttRQMd2
— HQ IDS (@HQ_IDS_India) February 25, 2026
Even as India strengthens defence manufacturing and diplomacy, military leadership is preparing the armed forces for the next revolution in warfare.
Speaking at the annual MITRA seminar at the College of Defence Management in Secunderabad, Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan underscored the urgent need to transform India’s war-fighting doctrine.
“As warfare expands from the physical to the synthetic and cognitive realms, the Indian Armed Forces need to transition from net-centric operations toward Intelligent Warfare and move beyond Multi-Domain Operations to All Realm All Domain Operations,” he emphasised.
He described the emergence of the “Third Revolution in Military Affairs,” driven by Convergence Warfare—a fusion of traditional and modern combat methods across kinetic, cyber, electronic, space, and cognitive domains.
General Chauhan also stressed the importance of building credible deterrence beyond nuclear capability.
“There is a need to establish non-nuclear strategic deterrence, ensuring the ability to win at every level of escalation,” he stated.
MITRA Framework to Shape India’s Next-Generation Military
The MITRA seminar—Multi-Domain Integrated Technologically-Empowered Resilient Armed Forces—served as a vital strategic platform bringing together senior military officials, scholars, industry leaders, and strategic experts.
Organised with the Indian School of Business as knowledge partner, the seminar focused on preparing India’s armed forces to operate seamlessly across land, air, sea, cyber, and space domains.
The MITRA framework envisions armed forces that are:
- Multi-domain in vision
- Integrated in action
- Technology-empowered in execution
- Resilient in purpose
Established in 1970, the College of Defence Management has played a pivotal role in shaping India’s military leadership and strategic planning, helping the armed forces adapt to evolving geopolitical and technological realities.
Diplomacy and Military Power: Two Pillars of India’s Strategic Rise
The twin developments—expanding indigenous defence manufacturing and transitioning to intelligent warfare—reflect India’s integrated approach to national security.
Indian diplomats are now expected to actively promote defence exports, build strategic partnerships, and enhance India’s global influence, while the armed forces simultaneously evolve to meet future threats through technological superiority and operational integration.
Together, these initiatives signal India’s emergence as a self-reliant defence power capable of defending its interests and shaping global security dynamics.
