Army Chief Gen Dwivedi Stresses Land Dominance, Tech Upgradation, And Self-Reliance For Future Wars
At the AIMA convention, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi outlined how land dominance, indigenous tech, and secure communications will shape India’s readiness for future conflicts. Image courtesy: X.com/@adgpi
Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, on September 9, 2025, underlined the central role of land forces in India’s security calculus, asserting that “land will remain the currency of victory” in any future conflict.
Speaking at the 52nd National Management Convention of the All-India Management Association (AIMA), he highlighted both the primacy of ground dominance and the urgent need for technological self-reliance to stay ahead of adversaries.
“In India, since we have two-and-a-half-front threats, land will remain the currency of victory,” General Dwivedi said, referencing last month’s Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Ukraine war. “When you go back to the Alaska conference, they just discussed how much land has to exchange hands.”
How does the Army chief’s comment differ from the Air Chief’s?
His remarks come two weeks after Air Chief Marshal AP Singh emphasised the primacy of air power during Operation Sindoor, underlining an ongoing debate on the evolving hierarchy of military domains.
The Army Chief said the Indian Army is undergoing a major transformation by inducting long-range rockets, missiles, UAVs, UCAVs, and loitering munitions. He revealed that Operation Sindoor showcased the Army’s use of indigenous capabilities, including the secure mobile ecosystem SAMBHAV (Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version).
“SAMBHAV phones were used in Operation Sindoor for command and communication. We were not using WhatsApp or others. In one go, a joint operational and intelligence picture was available to all commanders on the same platform. We are now upgrading it to a higher level,” he said.
He described Operation Sindoor as a “whole-of-nation approach” involving soldiers, commanders, scientists, and policymakers acting in a pre-emptive manner.
Why is the Army chief relying on Atmanirbharta?
General Dwivedi stressed that Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) must remain central to defence preparedness. “The goalposts will keep changing. If I wanted something to fire at 100 kilometres, tomorrow it has to go to 300 kilometres. Because the adversary is also enhancing his technology, I need to make sure mine is ready to beat its impact,” he said.
Looking ahead, the Army is exploring swarm drones and loitering munitions with ranges up to 750 km, alongside upgrades to existing missile systems.
Calling for resilience and adaptability, General Dwivedi said future conflicts would require hybrid leadership across domains and stronger integration of indigenous technology to safeguard national security.
