New Delhi: India’s Operation Sindoor has underscored a defining reality of contemporary warfare—battles unfold not only on the ground, but also in the contested space of information. On the eve of India’s 79th Independence Day, the Army’s Additional Directorate General of Strategic Communication was recognised for its role in managing that second front, working in tandem with precision military action during and after the military hostilities with Pakistan in May.
Major General Sandeep S. Sharda, Additional Director General (ADG) of Strategic Communication, has been awarded the Yudh Seva Medal, the nation’s third-highest wartime distinguished service decoration. He led the team that issued verified information swiftly, countered fake narratives in real time and coordinated messaging across multiple platforms. Central to this effort was also the Operation Sindoor logo, which became a recurring visual symbol of the campaign.
The logo, designed by Lieutenant Colonel Harsh Gupta and Havildar Surinder Singh, transformed the first “o” in Sindoor into a bowl of vermilion, a colour and form deeply embedded in Indian cultural associations with sacrifice and commitment. Its debut came in the early hours of 7 May, appearing on the Army’s social media feeds, alongside the message that read, “Justice is served. Jai Hind!”
Lt Col Gupta will receive the Army Chief’s Commendation Card for designing the logo. Among others from the ADG Strat Comm team, Lt Col Amol Jadhav and Lt Col Aniket have been named for the Chief’s Commendation Card, while Lt Col Gautam Jha will receive the Vice Chief’s Commendation Card.
The weight of strategic communication was evident in the operation, with Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan pointing out that about 15 percent of the operational effort went into countering disinformation and false narratives. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has also on multiple platforms highlighted the need for a “narrative management system” as essential to achieving operational objectives.
Beyond countering misinformation, the Army also produced a series of thematic short videos for social media, crafted entirely in-house by the social media section of the ADG Strat Comm. Widely circulated, they also drew considerable praise for their sharp execution and production quality.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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