Chief of Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi inaugurates national security and smart power seminar in New Delhi
NEW DELHI, May 19 — Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi inaugurated a seminar titled “Security to Prosperity: Smart Power for Sustained National Growth” at the Manekshaw Centre today.
Organized by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, the event gathered policymakers, diplomats, senior military leaders, industry representatives, and strategic experts. The discussions focused on integrating military, diplomatic, economic, and technological instruments of national power to ensure long-term national growth and strategic resilience within an increasingly volatile global environment.
During his address, Upendra Dwivedi highlighted the growing convergence between national security and economic prosperity. Referencing India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and the Indian Army’s ongoing Decade of Transformation, he identified digital networking, data-centricity, and physical connectivity as vital pillars for future readiness.
He cited Operation Sindoor from May 2025 as a prime example of smart power, where military precision, information management, diplomatic signaling, and economic resolve were synchronized to achieve clearly defined national objectives.
The Chief of the Army Staff observed that global geopolitics has entered a new normal of hard power, where supply chains, technology ecosystems, and critical resources are routinely used as instruments of strategic competition. To address these challenges, he outlined a SMART framework for India’s strategic approach, emphasizing integrated statecraft, manufacturing depth, accelerated innovation, resilience against external dependencies, and technology primacy.
He called for deeper collaboration between the military, industry, and academia to achieve self-reliance and safeguard national interests, concluding that peace is sustained through capability, confidence, and national resolve.
As part of the event, Upendra Dwivedi toured a technology exhibition and unveiled the book “Maratha Sainya Vyavastha (Shivaji to the Third Battle of Panipat),” which traces the evolution of the Maratha military system and its relevance to contemporary Indian strategic thought.
The seminar also featured a special address by Prateek Kishore, Director General at DRDO, who spoke on the transformative role of niche technologies and the importance of indigenous research and development in strengthening the domestic defense-industrial base.Global perspectives were shared by Georg Enzweiler, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Germany, who discussed shifting international power structures and their impact on India’s strategic options.
Educational and industry panels further examined the geopolitical choices available to India amid ongoing global turbulence, such as the West Asia crisis and supply chain disruptions.
The seminar concluded with sessions on the evolving character of warfare, cyber defense, and next-generation technological integration, aiming to generate actionable policy recommendations to enhance national growth and strategic autonomy.