Indian Defence Ministry Claims 2025 will be 'Year of Reforms’

The setting up of integrated theatre commands for the best use of the Indian military’s resources to fight future wars, new domains such as cyber and space, and simpler weapons buying procedures will be in sharp focus this year, with the Indian defence ministry declaring 2025 as the “year of reforms” aimed at modernising the armed forces to tackle new challenges.

These fields are among the nine areas identified by the Indian defence ministry for “focused intervention,” it said on Wednesday.

The announcement was made a day after defence minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of all secretaries in the ministry, and reviewed various schemes, projects, reforms and the way forward.

“To give impetus to the ongoing and future reforms, it was unanimously decided to observe 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms’ in the [Indian] defence ministry. This would aim at transforming the armed forces into a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of multi-domain integrated operations,” the ministry said in a statement.

The other areas identified for focused intervention include developing a shared understanding of operational requirements and joint operational capabilities through inter-service cooperation and training, facilitating technology transfer and knowledge sharing between the defence sector and the civil industry, and positioning India as a credible exporter of defence products.

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The “year of reforms” will be a momentous step in the modernisation journey of the Indian armed forces, Singh said. “It will lay the foundation for unprecedented advancements in the country’s defence preparedness, thus ensuring the security and sovereignty of the nation amidst the challenges of the 21st century,” he added.

Reforms should aim to further bolster jointness and integration initiatives and facilitate establishment of the integrated theatre commands, the statement said. The development comes at a time when the armed forces are charting a path towards theaterisation, a long-awaited military reform.

The theaterisation model being pursued involves raising the China-centric northern theatre command in Lucknow, the Pakistan-centric western theatre command in Jaipur, and the maritime theatre command in Thiruvananthapuram.

“Reforms should focus on new domains such as cyber and space, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, hypersonics and robotics. Associated tactics, techniques and procedures required to win future wars should also be developed,” the statement said.

Acquisition procedures need to be made simpler and time-sensitive to facilitate swifter and robust capability development, it said.

“Focus on collaboration across various stakeholders in the defence ecosystem. Breaking silos. Effective civil-military coordination should aim to eliminate inefficiencies and optimise resources,” it said, adding that the welfare of veterans while leveraging their expertise is another focus area.

The ministry also touched upon “instilling a sense of pride in Indian culture and ideas, fostering confidence in achieving global standards through indigenous capabilities, while imbibing best practices from modern militaries that suit the nation’s conditions.”

This news is sourced from Hindustan Times and is intended for informational purposes only.