2025 - Year of Reforms

Ministry of Defence (MoD) has declared 2025 as the 'Year of Reforms,' focusing on simplified procurement, reduced timeframes, theaterisation, and emerging technologies with significant implications for the Indian Army

- LT GENERAL P.C. KATOCH (RETD)

The Army Day Parade this year on January 15 was held in Pune for the first time ever. The parade held for decades in Delhi Cantonment was moved out from the Capital as it was considered politically expedient. Since then, it has been held in various parts of the country. Last year the parade was held in Lucknow. On the occasion of the Army Day, the Army Chief also held his usual press conference.

Threat Perception

The geopolitical environment around India has undergone drastic change in the past one year, primarily because of the US-engineered regime change in Bangladesh. Dhaka now has a radical Islamist government which is highly anti-India. Bangladesh-Pakistan relations have been revived to the extent that under a Bangladesh-Pakistan agreement, Pakistan army is to commence training of Bangladesh Army in four Army cantonments of Bangladesh starting February 2025.

In November 2024, a 14-member team of Bangladesh Islamist parties, led by Jamaat-e-Islami (Jel) leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher visited China on Beijing's invitation, obviously to chalk out the future course of action, including Pakistan's participation in the regional power game. A Chinese naval flotilla was the first to visit Bangladesh after the regime change. China and Pakistan are supplying arms and ammunition to Bangladesh. China has reportedly also supplied some fissile material. Bangladesh plans to purchase China's Chengdu J-19C multirole fighter jets, F-16 fighter aircraft from the US and has deployed Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones close to its border with India.