Modern Warfare Evolution: Indian Army Chief Highlights Shift to Non-Kinetic Combat and Youth's Role in National Security

New Delhi:

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi stated on Friday that warfare is increasingly becoming "non-kinetic and non-contact" due to various factors, necessitating responses that combine military strength with intellectual, technological, and moral readiness.

During an event at Manekshaw Centre commemorating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150th birth anniversary, he referenced Chanakya's teachings that "rising powers inevitably provoke countervailing coalitions."

"National security requires preparation for strategic balancing, deterrence, and resilience against counter reactions. Our opportunities are immense—the demographic dividend of the world's youngest population, transformative technologies, and strategic geography," he emphasized.

The Army Chief highlighted several evolving challenges in his keynote address: "We face traditional rivalries and collusive threats leading to more than two-and-a-half front challenges. Terrorism, proxy war, and internal threats persist. Critically, disinformation campaigns threaten to fracture our social fabric from within."

"Modern warfare flows through fiber cables, appears on screens, circulates in digital wallets, and influences our classrooms. This requires not just military strength but intellectual, technological, and moral preparedness," General Dwivedi explained.

He stressed that in this era of multi-domain challenges, national security and nation-building are "inseparable, requiring a whole-of-nation approach" that harnesses the collective resolve of governance, industry, academia, and civil society.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also addressed the gathering of army officials, students, and defense experts at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue: Young Leaders Forum, organized by the Army and the Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

Col Sofiya Qureshi, who prominently featured in Operation Sindoor media briefings, attended the event.

Referencing Operation Sindoor, the Army Chief acknowledged the diverse participation of young military officers, NCC cadets, civil defense personnel, drone lab technicians, and "social media warriors."

With over 65% of India's population under 35 and nearly 50% under 25, General Dwivedi noted: "We are a nation of youth, with boundless energy, ideas, creativity, and courage. India's skilled human resource is one of our greatest instruments of power."

He highlighted India's Gen Z population—the largest globally—joking that they have "beaten the Indian Army" in numbers, despite the Army being the world's second-largest military force.

This generation stands "at the center of this new battle space—digitally fluent, socially aware, and globally connected. They represent India's greatest strength when guided by discipline and direction—the melange of passion with purpose," he added.

Gen Z refers to those born approximately between the late 1990s and early 2010s (1996-2010 or 1997-2012, depending on the source).

The Indian Army has embarked on a decade of transformation focused on jointness, restructuring, and modernizing while evolving its human resources. "The troika of industry, academia, and armed forces forms the backbone of this transformation," he stated.

"Youth have roles in labs, industries, startups, think-tanks, and battlefields, beyond traditional leadership pathways like Sainik Schools, military schools, and NCC. The Army has reached out through 16 technology clusters, recruitment at IITs, and launched a paid internship program in 2025," he explained.

The Army recognizes that comprehensive national power is built not only in security circles but also in "classrooms, communities, and consciences. We, the men and women in uniform, rely on you in all fields, including technology."

General Dwivedi emphasized that national security extends beyond soldiers at borders to include citizens and youth who "refuse to be indifferent."

The event concluded with the announcement that Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2025 will be held on November 27-28, themed "Reform to Transform: Sashakt and Aur Surakshit Bharat."