(MENAFN) India must focus on fostering innovation, advancing research and development, and strengthening its diplomatic stance to succeed in future conflicts, Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan stated.

Addressing the Chanakya Defense Dialogue, an annual forum organized by the Indian Army, Chauhan emphasized that warfare is constantly evolving.

“Concepts that appear futuristic can become obsolete even before getting implemented,” he noted. “Yet this is the risk that all military officers have to undertake.”

The defense chief stressed that “the ability to visualize, anticipate, and prepare for future conflicts becomes existential for all of us, and it is not an option.”

He highlighted the growing role of technology, explaining that it is increasingly surpassing geography in strategic importance.

“Technology is going to be one of the most defining factors of future war,” Chauhan remarked. He described the current era as the “third revolution in military affairs,” characterized by the convergence of multiple technologies to shape decisive strategies.

Chauhan also pointed out the need for India to integrate kinetic and non-kinetic, as well as contact and non-contact, modes of warfare. “Integrated networks, automation, robotics, and cognitive tools now shape the tempo and outcomes of combat,” he said.

Looking ahead, the defense chief predicted that robotics would not only influence daily life but also dominate future battlefields, creating conflicts defined by a “man and machine mix.”

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