The Sindhudurg Fort, located on an islet in the Arabian Sea near Maharashtra’s Malvan town, is one of the most significant sea forts. It was built between 1664-1667 by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire, for the purpose of strategic maritime defense and protection against foreign naval threats. The fort was central to Shivaji’s plan to build a strong navy and protect the Konkan coastline, and marked the beginning of India’s maritime defense strategy.
In a similar vein, having demonstrated its military prowess in Operation Sindoor, India should now transform itself into Sindoor Durg, an impenetrable fortress, safe from multi-domain threats emanating from land, sea, air or cyberspace. It will also mark the beginning of India’s new doctrine against terrorism, as outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation earlier this month—“Terror and trade cannot go together, water and blood cannot flow together”.
The military strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor have only been paused. Pakistan, still smarting from the costs imposed on it, both reputational and on its military, will be thirsting for revenge. The brief skirmish has only served as a distraction for Pakistan from its domestic issues, especially its dire internal economic conditions, and has predictably united the country, even if temporarily, against a traditional foe. Buoyed by the grant of the IMF bailout, and by promoting Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal, Pakistan’s politico-military leadership hopes to retain their tenuous hold on power. Since another misadventure cannot be ruled out, we have to guard against even more varied and audacious threats.
Next strike is coming
The first purpose of a fort is to provide for its own security and that of its inhabitants. India has demonstrated quite forcibly its capability to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Providing for the security of all of its citizens is a much more onerous task, given our vast land mass and diversity. History has shown that terrorist strikes are not confined to border states or purely military targets, further compounding the problem.
The solution lies in having a robust intelligence network, rooted in a loyal local populace, drawing inputs from all branches of the government. A Pahalgam-type attack could not have taken place without any red flags raised. That these indicators were not picked up, and if picked up, not reported to the concerned authorities is a matter of concern. Having eyes and ears on the ground and a feel of the pulse of the population are the mainstays of any counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism strategy.
Gaps in operational capabilities, as identified as a result of Operation Sindoor, need to be plugged. While our indigenous weapon systems have performed admirably, long-pending defence procurement proposals need to be fast-tracked, even if it means going in for limited imports. The next strike is coming; we need to be prepared, and Atmanirbharta should not come at the cost of defence preparedness. The grant of emergency powers by the Centre to the three defence services is a welcome move. However, this process needs to be formalised and streamlined. Emergency powers have been given on numerous occasions—after the 2017 Doklam standoff, after the Galwan clash from 2020-2024 in different tranches, and now in 2025, post the Pahalgam terror attack, making it the new normal. However, it gives rise to a feeling that we are always in a state of unpreparedness, having to resort to emergency procurement, under both the capital and revenue heads, every time a crisis unfolds. The emergency powers provisions need to be made permanent having proved its worth in fast-tracking procurements. It could perhaps also be renamed to avoid giving that sense of crisis every time that they are invoked.
A fort though, is not only for defensive purposes. Historically, they have been used for launching offensives too, and that’s exactly how Sindoor Durg should operate. It should form the political and military base from which we can plan our response to all those who are hostile toward us and our interests.
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A long road ahead
By sending out delegations led by senior political figures cutting across party lines to countries around the world, India has showcased that it stands united as one nation, though a military representative, from the operations branch, would have lent further heft to these missions. These delegations will not only project our viewpoint, but also garner international support for the isolation of Pakistan. That no other country abstained from voting on the $2.3 billion IMF bailout package for Pakistan, or that except for Israel and Taiwan, no other country extended unconditional support to India after the Pahalgam massacre, reveals the long road ahead in winning the perception war.
Nevertheless, this interlude gives time and space for the armed forces to strategise and plan their possible responses to future hostile acts in light of the new doctrine. As the new policy makes abundantly clear, force will be met by force, irrespective of location and without making any distinction between state and non-state actors.
A fortress also provides for the peace and stability essential for a country’s growth. Nations respect strength, especially economic, which is essential to secure our interests. Only when our economic base is strong, will we be able to project our military strength. They go hand in hand. Our effort should be to become the third-largest economy in the world in the shortest time possible, maybe by as early as 2030. A long, drawn-out conflict will be a setback to these efforts of becoming a developed nation by 2047. It’s only after becoming economically stronger that India will be able to wield the influence that is currently the preserve of the US and China. It is the economic clout that is wielded by these countries that enables them to induce other nations to follow them in taking a soft stance vis-à-vis Pakistan. Power flows ‘from the barrel of the gun’, but that gun needs financial backing.
Sindoor Durg is a symbol of a new, emancipated India that has broken free from its colonial shackles and is knocking on the door of becoming a power to be reckoned with in the community of nations. The new India is not like a tortoise which retracts defensively into its shell when threatened, but like a swarm of bees which will strike at anyone who comes near and dares threaten the hive. The battle will be taken to the enemy, in the political and economic domains, and if necessary, in the military space.
General Manoj Mukund Naravane PVSM AVSM SM VSM is a retired Indian Army General who served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff. Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
India will not become economically strong because she won’t abandon socialism. Unless she abandons socialism, she won’t have the money to build an impenetrable fortress. There is no politician in India who will abandon socialism for free-market. Low cost asymmetric warfare with Pakistan fits socialist India’s bill.