India's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan, delivered a stark warning about the rapidly evolving nature of global conflict, stating that the wars of the future will be unpredictable, lightning-fast, and extend far beyond traditional battlefields.
The "Third Revolution" in Warfare
Speaking at the prestigious IIT Bombay Techfest on Monday evening, General Chauhan outlined what he termed the "third revolution in warfare." He described a new grammar of conflict driven by surprise, super-intelligent systems, and the quest for asymmetric advantage. "Actually, we are at the cusp of an era where warfare is going to expand into newer and unknown domains," he stated.
The CDS emphasized that future battles will be fought simultaneously across multiple domains, including:
- Cyberspace
- Outer Space
- The Electromagnetic Spectrum
- The Human Mind
He pointed to the Israel-Iran conflict as a recent example, where actions in new domains like cyber-enabled intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), information operations, and long-range precision strikes shaped strategic outcomes. "These new domains are the ones where actually you can create asymmetries between nations and those asymmetries actually help you win a war," Chauhan explained.
Five Key Trends Reshaping Modern Combat
General Chauhan identified five critical technological trends that are fundamentally altering the character of warfare:
- High-Speed Engagements: Enabled by stealth and sensor technologies that make vast amounts of data available.
- Rise of Robotics: Leading to a shift from man-to-man to man-to-machine combat scenarios.
- Advanced Weaponry: Development of lighter, stronger arms with reduced dependence on global supply chains.
- Intelligent Battlefields: Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for faster, data-driven decision-making.
- Asymmetric Capabilities: The growing importance of creating technological edges in niche domains.
He stressed that for India to be combat-ready, its armed forces must maintain this technological asymmetry. "So multi-domain operations will no longer be an option but a necessity," he asserted, highlighting the need for integrated multi-domain capabilities and cross-domain command and control systems.
IIT Bombay's Institutional Response & Bridging Ancient Wisdom
The CDS's message found a direct institutional echo at the premier engineering institute. IIT Bombay director, Professor Shireesh Kedare, announced that the institute has established a dedicated Centre for Defence Technologies Innovation and Strategies. Furthermore, the institute senate has approved pathways for doctoral programmes in this critical area.
In a significant parallel initiative, IIT Bombay will also offer PhDs through its Centre for Traditional Indian Knowledge and Skills. This centre aims to study India's enduring knowledge systems and skill traditions. Kedare pointed out a unique challenge: "In most cases Indian knowledge is available in Sanskrit. Those who are experts in reading the old manuscripts do not have engineering reference to provide perspective for the information available in the ancient scripts." The goal is to bridge this gap between ancient wisdom and modern engineering practice.
Other research centres opening up doctoral avenues include the Medical Technologies Research and Innovation Centre and the Motilal Oswal Centre for Capital Markets.
Earlier during the Techfest, Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy spoke about the adversities and sacrifices in his entrepreneurial journey. The lecture series was inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who spoke on the power of knowledge as India aims to become a $5 trillion economy.
