Archive · 27 Sep 2026
Army Chief Says Self-Reliance Must Sustain India Through Long Wars
General Dhiraj Seth said India must be ready for wars that may last a long time.
Modern battles can have periods of heavy fighting followed by long pauses.
New technology is being developed faster than armies can build and use it.
India therefore needs equipment that stays useful when it finally enters service.
Cheap drones can threaten very expensive military platforms.
Older weapons can still be useful if they are upgraded with modern technology.
The Army needs both long-range weapons and soldiers who can hold land.
Seth said self-reliance should give India the freedom and ability to fight and win.
General Dhiraj Seth said defence self-reliance must help India sustain, adapt and regenerate capabilities during prolonged conflicts.
He described modern conflicts as “wars with pause,” in which intense fighting may be separated by extended lulls.
Seth warned that military technology is advancing faster than systems can be developed, tested and inducted.
He urged India to combine long-range capabilities with forces able to occupy and hold disputed border territory.
India’s defence exports exceeded ₹38,000 crore in 2025–26 and reached more than 80 countries, he said.
- Who
- Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth.
- What
- He called for defence self-reliance focused on sustaining, adapting and regenerating military capabilities through prolonged conflicts.
- When
- Sunday; he said defence exports exceeded ₹38,000 crore in 2025–26.
- Where
- At a defence conclave in New Delhi.
- Why
- Because contemporary wars may last longer, include pauses and evolve faster than military systems can be developed and inducted.
- Speaker
- Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth
- Core message
- Self-reliance must extend beyond domestic weapons production to strategic freedom and sustained military capability.
- Modern conflict description
- Contemporary wars may involve intense fighting separated by prolonged pauses.
- Technology challenge
- The technology clock is moving faster than the capability clock.
- Operational requirement
- India needs both long-range capabilities and forces able to occupy, dominate and hold ground.
- Defence exports
- Exports crossed ₹38,000 crore in 2025–26 and reached more than 80 countries.
- Framework
- Seth outlined the SAMARTH framework: Sustain, Adapt, Mission-Ready Modernisation, Accelerate, Resilience, Technology-led Transformation and Human-Machine Teaming.