Need to operate with long-term strategic vision and remain equally prepared to respond to immediate & emerging challenges: Raksha Mantri to Army Commanders

1. At a Glance

• At the Army Commanders' Conference in New Delhi on 23 Oct 2026, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh asked the Army to plan 20–30 years ahead while staying ready for immediate and emerging challenges. He also said strategy must stay dynamic and flexible [1].
• He released the Land Warfare Doctrine. It is an overall framework to prepare the Indian Army for the evolving character of warfare and future conflicts [1].
• The topic brings together several examinable threads: Operation Sindoor, the 'Year of Reforms – 2025', multi-domain and joint operations, Aatmanirbharta in defence, and UN peacekeeping [1].
• It covers GS-III (security challenges, defence technology) and GS-II (India's global standing) [1].

2. Why in the News

• 23 Oct 2026: The Raksha Mantri addressed the Army Commanders' Conference in New Delhi. He released the Land Warfare Doctrine and the annual United Nations Journal, and honoured Army personnel who served as UN peacekeepers [1].
• In the same address he cited record defence production of ₹1.78 lakh crore and defence exports of about ₹38,000 crore in FY 2025-26 [1].
• He credited innovative thinking, synergy, coordination and advanced weaponry for the success of Operation Sindoor [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• Army Commanders' Conference: This is the Army's apex-level, biannual event. Senior leaders use it to review ongoing initiatives, identify future thrust areas and set policy direction [1][3].
• Key milestones:
• 4–5 Sep 2024: The first (maiden) Joint Commanders' Conference was held in Lucknow, presided over by the Raksha Mantri [4][5].
• Jan 2025: MoD declared 2025 the 'Year of Reforms'. Its aims were a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of multi-domain integrated operations, and support for Integrated Theatre Commands [6].
• 1–4 Apr 2025: Army Commanders' Conference in New Delhi. The Raksha Mantri said doctrinal changes should be made whenever required to keep the forces future-ready [3].
• 6–7 May 2025 (night): Operation Sindoor was launched after the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people. 9 terrorist sites in Pakistan and PoJK were struck [8][9].
• 12 May 2025: The two sides' Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) held talks and agreed to stop military operations [9].
• Oct 2025: Army Commanders' Conference in Jaisalmer. Its agenda included Grey Zone Warfare and a roadmap for Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation. The Raksha Mantri visited Tanot and Longewala [10].
• Year-end 2025: The MoD review reported 8 new Joint Doctrines/Manuals and the Defence Procurement Manual 2025 [7].
• 23 Oct 2026: The Land Warfare Doctrine was released [1].

4. Core Static Facts

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Geopolitical / Strategic

• Commanders were told to watch geopolitical and regional developments closely. The 20–30-year horizon combined with immediate readiness is a dual-track preparedness doctrine [1].
• Operation Sindoor was described as a clear message that India will act to protect national interests. India had called its response "focused, measured and non-escalatory" [1][9].
• The Raksha Mantri credited the forces' valour, discipline, preparedness and restraint, together with diplomacy, for India's improved global standing [1].

Scientific / Technological

• He named AI, autonomous systems, data analytics, cybersecurity and secure communications as areas where work must speed up [1].
• He welcomed the Army's restructuring around drones and modern technology [1].
• He stressed advanced weaponry as a factor in Sindoor's success, which links to the theme of indigenous innovation [1][12].

Military Doctrine / Administrative

• Land forces remain indispensable even as the air, maritime, space and cyber domains grow in importance [1].
• He called for an integrated, multi-domain approach and seamless joint operations, which connects to the theatre-command agenda [1][6].
• The year-end 2025 review reported only 29% of deliverables and 35% of Joint Doctrines completed. It said full theaterisation is still essential. This shows an implementation gap [7].
• "Reform is a continuous process." Commanders must carry reforms down to their commands and echelons so they produce tangible operational benefits [1].

Economic

• Record ₹1.78 lakh crore production and about ₹38,000 crore exports in FY 2025-26 show that Aatmanirbharta in defence is producing results [1].
• The Raksha Mantri attributed this to the concerted effort of all stakeholders: the forces, industry and government [1].

Social / Governance

• He listed greater participation of women and better manpower management as priority areas [1].
• Recognising UN peacekeepers strengthens India's image as a contributor to international peace and security [1].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• Oct 2025: Army Commanders' Conference in Jaisalmer, with Grey Zone Warfare and a jointness roadmap on the agenda [10].
• Dec 2025 (MoD year-end review): 8 Joint Doctrines/Manuals completed; DPM 2025 issued; theaterisation still incomplete [7].
• 2026: The Raksha Mantri addressed Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 (IAF) at Jodhpur. He emphasised self-reliance and international cooperation [2].
• FY 2025-26: Record defence production and exports [1].
• 23 Oct 2026: Land Warfare Doctrine released; UN Journal unveiled [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• The Land Warfare Doctrine was released by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh on 23 Oct 2026 at the Army Commanders' Conference in New Delhi [1].
• The Army Commanders' Conference is an apex-level, biannual event [3].
• Planning horizon urged by the Raksha Mantri: 20–30 years [1].
• FY 2025-26 defence production: record ₹1.78 lakh crore [1].
• FY 2025-26 defence exports: all-time high of about ₹38,000 crore [1].
• MoD declared 2025 the "Year of Reforms" [6].
• Operation Sindoor was launched on the night of 6–7 May 2025, striking 9 sites in Pakistan and PoJK [8][9].
• It was triggered by the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians [9].
• DGMO-level talks on 12 May 2025 led to a halt in military operations [9].
• The first Joint Commanders' Conference was held in Lucknow in Sep 2024 [4][5].
• The Oct 2025 Army Commanders' Conference was held in Jaisalmer, with Grey Zone Warfare on the agenda [10].
• The Union Budget 2025-26 allocated ₹6.81 lakh crore to MoD, up 9.53% [11].
• CDS at the Oct 2026 conference: Gen NS Raja Subramani. COAS: Gen Dhiraj Seth [1].
• An annual United Nations Journal is unveiled by the Indian Army [1].

8. Can the Budget Pay for a 20–30 Year Vision?

• Most of the Army's money goes to people, not new equipment
• In 2021-22, salaries and pensions took 73% of the Army's budget. Only 11% was left for modernisation (buying new weapons and systems) [16].
• In 2022-23, the modernisation share fell to 8% [17].

• A 20–30 year plan for AI, drones and secure networks needs steady money for new equipment every year. A share of 8–11% cannot give that.

• The Army's spending mix is far from what Parliament's committee wants

• Revenue spending is the money for running costs such as salaries and upkeep. Capital spending is the money for buying new assets.
• The Standing Committee on Defence (2021) found the Army's revenue-to-capital ratio at 80:20. It called 60:40 the ideal [17].

• For all of defence, capital outlay is budgeted at only 29% of spending in 2026-27, and pensions take more than 20% of the defence budget [15].

• Where the critics are right: India cannot cut soldiers quickly

• The Raksha Mantri himself said land forces remain indispensable [1]. Long, disputed land borders need troops on the ground, so the wage bill cannot shrink fast.
• The real fix is slow. PRS notes that the Agnipath scheme (short-term recruitment of soldiers) may reduce pension spending, but only over the long term [15].
• So the gap between the long-term vision and the yearly budget will last for years. A good answer should say this plainly.

9. What the Record Export Number Hides

• Almost all of the jump came from government companies
• Exports rose 62.66% to ₹38,424 crore in FY 2025-26, up from ₹23,622 crore [21].
• DPSU (Defence Public Sector Undertaking, a government-owned defence company) exports grew 151%. Private sector exports grew only 14% [21].
• In FY 2024-25 the private sector earned ₹15,233 crore of exports, about two-thirds of the total. In FY 2025-26 its share fell to 45.16% [21].

• So the record is not yet proof of a broad private export base. A jump led by a few government firms in one year can also fall back the next year.

• Production is still mostly a government business

• DPSUs and other public sector units made about 76% of total defence production in FY 2025-26. The private sector made 24% [22].

• The drones and AI tools the speech asks for come mostly from start-ups and private firms. Their small share in production is a weak point for the doctrine's technology goals.

• 'Indigenous' does not always mean 'free of imports'

• MoD says the ratio of Indian to foreign spending on procurement reached 83.91:16.09 in FY 2023-24 [18].
• But even Indian-made items use imported parts. In 2018-19 to 2020-21, import content in DPSU production was about 22–26% [20].
• Counting contracts can also mislead. Only 12 of 337 capital contracts went to foreign vendors [19], but one large foreign contract can be worth more than many small Indian ones.

10. A New Army Doctrine Before the Joint Structure Exists

• The Army has written its own doctrine before theatre commands are ready
• Theatre commands are joint commands. Each one puts Army, Navy and Air Force units for one region under a single commander.
• The Land Warfare Doctrine is Army-only [1]. But the 2025 year-end review said only 35% of Joint Doctrines were done and that full theaterisation (setting up theatre commands) is still pending [7].
• Parliament's committee also records that the forces are only moving towards creating theatre commands [18].

• The risk is this: when each service writes its own plan first, the joint plan later has to fit around those choices, not lead them.

• Past Army reforms were only partly carried out

• The Shekatkar Committee (Committee of Experts, report Dec 2016) led to 99 recommendations being sent to the forces. MoD approved 65 of them for the Army, with a deadline of 31 Dec 2019 [23].
• The steps that were carried out were mostly about cutting extra support units, for example closing 39 military farms [23].

• The lesson for the new doctrine: announcing a reform is easy. The real test is whether it reaches units on the ground. The Raksha Mantri asked for exactly this when he said reforms must give 'tangible operational benefits' [1].

• The units are already changing faster than the paperwork

• MoD reports that new Rudra Brigades, Divyastra Batteries and Bhairav Battalions are already deployed along the northern borders [7].
• So the doctrine has to explain and guide units that already exist. It cannot be a plan for some distant future only.

11. Who Must Act Next, and How

• Ministry of Defence and Finance Ministry: move the Army's spending mix towards 60:40
• The Standing Committee on Defence has already set this benchmark [17].

• Capital money for new technology should be planned for many years at a time. If it is decided only one year at a time, a 20–30 year doctrine has nothing stable to rest on.

• MoD: keep the rule that most capital money must be spent in India, and use it to grow private drone makers

• 75% of the capital budget is reserved for Indian sources, and counter-drone systems are in that category [18].

• MoD should measure success by the private sector's share of production and exports, not only by the headline export total [21][22].

• MoD/DPSUs: report how much of each 'Indian' system is really made in India

• Parliament's committee had to ask separately for import-content data on DPSU products [20].

• Publishing this every year would show whether Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) is real or only on paper.

• CDS and the Department of Military Affairs: set a public date for theatre commands

• The 2025 review shows the joint work is far from finished [7].

• Once theatre commands exist, the Land Warfare Doctrine should be checked against the joint doctrine so the two do not clash.

• Standing Committee on Defence: track the doctrine's progress each year

• The Shekatkar reforms show that progress needs to be checked against fixed deadlines [23].

12. Anchors for Answers

• Data: Army modernisation got only 8% of the Army's budget in 2022-23; salaries and pensions took 73% in 2021-22 [16][17]
• Data: Capital outlay is 29% of defence spending in 2026-27; pensions take more than 20% of the defence budget [15]
• Data: Defence exports were ₹38,424 crore in FY 2025-26 (+62.66%). DPSU exports grew 151%, private exports 14%, and the private share fell to 45.16% [21]
• Data: The public sector made about 76% of defence production in FY 2025-26 [22]
• Report/Committee: Standing Committee on Defence (2021): the Army's revenue-to-capital ratio is 80:20 against an ideal of 60:40 [17]
• Report/Committee: Shekatkar Committee (Dec 2016): 99 recommendations sent to the forces, 65 approved for the Army, deadline Dec 2019 [23]
• Report/Committee: Standing Committee on Defence, 16th Report (2025-26): 75% of the capital budget reserved for Indian sources; theatre commands still in progress [18]
• Scheme: Agnipath, a short-term recruitment scheme that may lower the pension bill over the long term [15]

13. Mains Relevance

• GS-III: "Security challenges and their management in border areas"; "Various security forces and agencies and their mandate"; "Science & Technology – indigenisation of technology"; "Challenges to internal security through communication networks; basics of cyber security."
• GS-II: "India and its neighbourhood"; "Important international institutions" (UN peacekeeping).
• Question stems: 1. "Modern conflicts are multi-domain, yet land forces remain indispensable." Discuss with reference to India's evolving military doctrine and the need for jointness. (15 marks) 2. Operation Sindoor highlighted the role of indigenous technology and inter-service synergy. Evaluate India's progress towards Aatmanirbharta in defence and the remaining gaps. (15 marks) 3. "Reform is a continuous process, the success of which depends on effective implementation." Examine this in the context of defence reforms, including theatre commands. (10 marks)

14. Related Topics to Study Next

• Integrated Theatre Commands: the main structural reform behind the multi-domain jointness the speech calls for [6][7].
• Chief of Defence Staff / Department of Military Affairs: the institutional anchor of jointness [13].
• Operation Sindoor: the operational case study cited in the speech [8][9].
• Defence Procurement Manual 2025 / DAP: the procurement reforms under the Year of Reforms [7].
• Defence exports and Positive Indigenisation Lists: connect to the Aatmanirbharta numbers [1].
• Grey Zone Warfare and cyber/space domains: emerging threats on the Army's agenda [10].
• India and UN Peacekeeping: linked to the UN Journal and the peacekeeper felicitation [1].
• Exercise Tarang Shakti: the IAF's multinational exercise and defence diplomacy [2].

15. NCERT Concepts to Revise

• Demand for grants (Economy): The note's budget analysis relies on Demand for Grants reports of the Defence ministry, where Parliament votes defence spending.
• Standing committee (Polity): Standing Committee on Defence reports supply the 80:20 vs 60:40 spending benchmark and the theatre-command progress findings.
• Capital budget (Economy): Explains the capital versus revenue spending gap that limits money for modernisation and a 20–30 year vision.
• Self-reliance (Economy): Aatmanirbharta in defence is a core theme: record production and exports, and questions about import content.
• Public sector undertaking (Economy): DPSUs drove the export jump and make about 76% of defence production, so their role matters.
• Private sector (Economy): The note argues private firms and start-ups are needed for drones and AI, yet their production and export share is small.

16. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Land Warfare Doctrine vs. Joint Doctrines. The Land Warfare Doctrine is Army-specific (Oct 2026). Joint Doctrines are tri-service, and 8 were completed in 2025 [1][7].
• Army Commanders' Conference vs. Joint Commanders' Conference. The first is the Army's own biannual forum. The second is a tri-service forum whose first edition was in Lucknow, 2024 [3][4].
• Year of Reforms is 2025, not 2026. The 2026 speech refers back to it [1][6].
• Production vs. exports. ₹1.78 lakh crore is total production. About ₹38,000 crore is exports. Both figures are for FY 2025-26 [1].
• Change of CDS. Earlier PIB material names Gen Anil Chauhan as CDS. The Oct 2026 release names Gen NS Raja Subramani, so use the current office-holder [1][14].