Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth speaks on 'Aatmanirbharta in an Era of Transformative Wars' at a New Delhi conclave

27 September 2026

Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth delivered the keynote address on 'Aatmanirbharta in an Era of Transformative Wars' at a defence conclave in New Delhi on 27 September 2026.
He said India's defence readiness must go beyond self-reliance in manufacturing to the ability to sustain, adapt and regenerate military capability through prolonged conflicts.
He described modern conflicts as 'wars with pause'.
He said capabilities must match India's own geographic and operational conditions, from sea level to high altitude and across extremes of temperature.
He said inexpensive drone technology now threatens costly military platforms, so the competitive advantage lies in rapid innovation and adaptation.