PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

With the world and the region in a state of constant turmoil, opinions about the preparedness of the armed forces often come from defence analysts. The audience at the India Today Conclave, however, got to hear all about it from the chiefs of the Indian army, air force and navy as they provided critical insights into India’s evolving security landscape. Army chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi underscored the deepening military and strategic collusion between China and Pakistan, warning that the threat of a two-front war is very real. The continued threat of cross-border terrorism remains a concern—and though local recruitment in Kashmir has declined, Pakistan remains an instigator, with 60 per cent of neutralised terrorists being nationals of that country.

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AIR CHIEF MARSHAL A.P. SINGH Chief of the Air Staff

Gen. Dwivedi reaffirmed India’s vigilance along the Line of Actual Control with China, noting improvements in disengagement at friction points like Depsang and Demchok. Modern warfare, he said, has shifted to a continuous “grey zone” conflict, where India is in a constant state of “not war, not peace” and faces a “two-and-a-half-front” challenge. Gen. Dwivedi also called the Agniveer recruitment scheme a “great success”.