Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday exhorted commanders of the armed forces to analyse the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars and the current situation in Bangladesh, predict the problems that India may face in the future and stay prepared to deal with the “unexpected”.

Addressing the joint commanders’ conference in Lucknow, Rajnath stressed the need for a broader and deeper analysis given the situation along the China frontier and in neighbouring countries, “which are posing a challenge to peace and stability in
the region”.

He also underlined the significance of evolving joint military vision and preparing for the challenges the country might face in future wars while emphasising a synergised, swift and proportionate response to provocation.

“Despite global volatility, India is enjoying a rare peace dividend and it is developing peacefully. However, due to the increasing number of challenges, we need to remain alert,” Singh said.

“We need to focus on our present, keep an eye on the activities happening around us at present, and focus on being future-oriented. For this, we should have a strong and robust national security component. We should have a fail-proof deterrence,” he added.

Stressing capability development in space and electronic warfare, the defence minister urged the military leadership to focus on increasing the use of the latest technological advancements in the fields of data and artificial intelligence.

“These components do not participate in any conflict or war directly. Their indirect participation is deciding the course of warfare to a great extent,” he said.

The defence minister said “India is a peace-loving nation” but the armed forces need to be “prepared for war in order to preserve peace”.

The two-day commanders’ conference, which ended on Thursday, brought together the combined apex-level military leadership of the country, who deliberated upon the current and future challenges to the nation in the context of national security.

The focus of the conference was on future capability building, including organisation structures for joint and integrated response and ushering in efficiency, transparency and accountability in the work process during peace and war.

Sources in the defence ministry said the top military leaders carried out a comprehensive review of the security situation along the China frontier in the eastern Ladakh sector where India and China have been locked in a border stand-off since May 2020.