Ran Samwad 2025: Armed forces highlight AI, drones, info warfare for future readiness

The inaugural day of Ran Samwad 2025 on Tuesday brought together senior leaders from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, who examined lessons from ongoing global conflicts and laid out India's roadmap for adapting to the rapidly evolving nature of warfare.

- TBG NETWORK

The tri-services conference, designed to foster dialogue across the armed forces, focused on how disruptive technologies, multi-domain operations, and civil-military fusion must shape India's strategic preparedness for the future.

Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, opened the deliberations by highlighting nine defining trends that are transforming modern warfare. Drawing insights from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, he said the battlefield is now dominated by drones, cyber operations, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance (ISR) assets, and electronic warfare. He warned that "AI-driven targeting systems, unmanned platforms, and information warfare are no longer secondary enablers but decisive factors in outcomes." The Vice Admiral emphasised that India must urgently develop doctrines that integrate space-based assets, autonomous systems, and cyber capabilities to ensure seamless coordination across domains.