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The traditional face of warfare has undergone a paradigm shift in the 21st century, with
nations increasingly resorting to contactless, hybrid, and information-based warfare instead
of conventional military confrontation. What was once a flashpoint for armed skirmishes nowseems to have catalyzed a more covert, technology-driven battle — one fought through AI powered defence equipment, cyberattacks, propaganda, and economic maneuvers rather than physical battles through bullets and bombs.
This is no longer just a war of attrition; it’s a war of algorithms, real-time decisions, and
autonomous systems.
The recent incident in Pahalgam, which sparked a renewed wave of cross-border tensions,
has become a wake-up call for India’s defence establishment. It has reaffirmed a pressing
national imperative: “India must now shift decisively toward technology-led defence
dominance” to secure its sovereignty in the evolving landscape of 21st-century warfare.
The war between Ukraine and Russia, initially marked by tanks and missiles, has quietly
evolved into a proving ground for AI-powered warfare. As Ukraine battles to reclaim its
sovereignty, it has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) as a force multiplier — reshaping
traditional warfare through drones, data, and digital dominance.
While Russia boasts military might in numbers, Ukraine — with assistance from Western
allies and private tech firms — has turned to AI-based systems to level the playing field.
From predictive analytics to autonomous drone swarms, Ukraine’s defense strategy
increasingly relies on software superiority over sheer firepower.
A Silent War, Loud Lessons
The aftermath of the Pahalgam incident did not spiral into a full-scale military confrontation, but what followed was arguably more strategic — a surge in cyber intrusions, drone activity, disinformation campaigns, and digital espionage. This marks the continuation of a “contactless war” — one where the battlegrounds are data centers, satellites, and code, not just borders and bunkers.
India, with its strong IT backbone, is uniquely positioned to lead. But potential is not power
until it’s mobilized.
Learning from Ukraine, Watching China
Ukraine’s battlefield success against a larger adversary — enabled by AI-powered drones,
open-source satellite intelligence, and cyber tools — has transformed global military thinking.
China, too, has rapidly integrated AI, robotics, and space dominance into its People’s
Liberation Army strategy.
India must learn, leap, and lead. The Pahalgam flashpoint offers a moment to recalibrate —
not just to respond tactically, but to transform structurally. India’s current defence posture still leans heavily on conventional assets — boots on the ground, tanks in formation, and fighter squadrons in readiness. While indispensable, these must now be augmented with
Autonomous drone swarms, AI-driven surveillance and targeting systems, Cyber warfare
units integrated with armed forces, Quantum-secure communication networks, Space-based early warning and defence satellites, etc.
Indigenous Innovation is the Key
India’s defence startups, DRDO labs, and private tech ecosystem must now function as a
war-time innovation complex. Bureaucratic hurdles, slow procurement cycles, and inter-
agency delays must be bulldozed. Fast-tracking indigenous platforms — from combat AI
systems to hypersonic weapons — is the need of the hour.
The push for Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) in defence cannot just be about
manufacturing — it must be about designing, inventing, and deploying disruptive
technologies.
Seizing the Moment
Pahalgam was not just another security incident. It was a signal from the future — a
reminder that the nature of warfare is changing faster than policies, weapons, or doctrines.
India must now act with urgency to lead in the battlefield of bytes, bots, and beyond.
As the world moves from kinetic to cognitive warfare, India’s strategic depth will depend not
on how many troops it can deploy, but how much intelligence it can deploy per second.
The time for gradual change is over. The era of technology-led defence leadership must
begin — now.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.