Kashmir Impulse Desk

Pune, May 30

India’s armed forces are fully prepared for “Operation Sindoor 2.0” if the need arises, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said on Friday, adding that the three services are intensifying preparations for future warfare across land, air, sea, cyber and space domains.

Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the passing-out parade of the 150th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, General Dwivedi said Operation Sindoor remained active under a temporary cessation of hostilities and preparations were underway for any further escalation.

 “As far as Operation Sindoor is concerned, it is continuing. There is a temporary cessation of hostilities. The Indian Army and all three services are preparing well for Operation Sindoor 2.0 if it takes place,” he said.

General Dwivedi said modern warfare was evolving beyond conventional battlefields, with increasing emphasis on space, cyber and cognitive warfare, while military operations were becoming more exposed to real-time surveillance.

“The battlefield is so transparent that every movement is known to the other side. Therefore, we have to be very cautious in terms of our deployment, employment and the protection required for our troops as well as civilians in border areas,” he said.

Referring to lessons from Operation Sindoor, the Army chief said information warfare and national unity would play a decisive role in future conflicts.

“Victory is always in the mind. It’s not on the ground,” he said, adding that public trust in institutions and information would remain central to success in war.

He said the operation highlighted India’s ability to deliver a calibrated and precise response through integrated planning, real-time intelligence, precision targeting, air defence and secure communications.

General Dwivedi said the Indian Army was undergoing modernisation under its “Decade of Transformation” plan, with new technology-driven formations including drone battalions and specialised weapons units being developed from within existing resources.

He said the next phase of transformation would focus on networking and data-centric operations to enable faster and more resilient decision-making on the battlefield.

On the growing use of drones, he said the Army was working towards ensuring every soldier had the ability to operate unmanned aerial systems.

“Every soldier should have the capability to fly a drone,” he said, adding that training and simulator-based instruction were already underway across military academies.

General Dwivedi also said the military theatre command restructuring process was progressing, with deliberations completed within the Chiefs of Staff Committee and recommendations submitted to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

He said service chiefs would continue to oversee force generation, training and sustainment, while theatre commanders would be responsible for operational deployment and coordination.

Earlier, reviewing the NDA passing-out parade at Khadakwasla, General Dwivedi said Operation Sindoor had established a benchmark for India’s military response to provocation.

“Operation Sindoor demonstrated that and set the benchmark when national will was expressed with precision and resolve,” he said.

Calling the occasion a personal milestone, the Army chief recalled passing out from the same academy more than four decades ago and told graduating cadets that the values forged at the NDA would remain with them throughout their service.