India's armed forces are fully prepared for a possible next phase of Operation Sindoor if the situation demands, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi said on Saturday, stressing that the Army, Navy and Air Force are strengthening joint capabilities to meet the challenges of modern multi-domain warfare.
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the passing-out parade of the 150th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, General Dwivedi said that while there is currently a temporary cessation of hostilities, the armed forces remain on high alert and are preparing for future contingencies.
"As far as Operation Sindoor is concerned, firstly, it is still continuing. There is a temporary cessation of hostilities. So the Indian Army and all the three services are preparing well for Operation Sindoor 2.0 if it takes place," he said.
India launched Operation Sindoor in May 2025 to target terror infrastructure in Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in April that killed 26 people.
Highlighting the changing nature of warfare, General Dwivedi said future conflicts would increasingly extend beyond traditional land, air and maritime domains into space, cyber and cognitive warfare. He noted that modern battlefields have become highly transparent, making force protection and deployment decisions more critical than ever.
"What we have seen over a period of time is 24/7. The battlefield is so transparent that every movement is known to the other side. Therefore, we have to be very cautious in terms of our deployment, in terms of our employment, and the protection which is required to protect our troops as well as the civilians in the border areas," he said.
The Army chief also underscored the growing importance of information warfare, saying public trust and national unity would remain decisive in future conflicts.
"Victory is always in the mind. It's not on the ground. Therefore, information warfare is only successful if the whole of the nation gets together and trusts the people who are giving the information," he said.
"If that happens, I can assure you that the nation which trusts each other and all these stakeholders will always win the war," the Army Chief added.
Referring to the lessons from Operation Sindoor, General Dwivedi said the operation showcased India's ability to deliver a measured and effective military response.
"This operation underlined the importance of integrated planning, real-time intelligence, precision targeting, strong air defence, secure communications, and synergy across domains," the Army chief said.
He said the Indian Army is continuing its modernisation efforts under the "Decade of Transformation" initiative, with a strong focus on technology and youth-driven innovation.
"We are transforming ourselves into a future-ready force under the 'Decade of Transformation', wherein the role of the younger generation would be pivotal," he added.
The transformation includes the raising of industry drone battalions, Divyastra batteries, Shaktiman regiments, Bhairav battalions and other technology-enabled formations. According to the Army chief, the next major step will be networking and data-centric operations, where data becomes a strategic asset and decision-making becomes faster and more resilient.
Speaking about drones and indigenous military technologies, General Dwivedi reiterated his vision of equipping every soldier with drone-operating capability.
"This means every soldier should have an "eagle" in their hand... Every soldier should have the capability to fly a drone. You have seen that in our academies and other places, training for this is ongoing, simulators are there," he said.
On the long-pending military theatre commands project, General Dwivedi said the process is progressing steadily. He revealed that deliberations within the Chiefs of Staff Committee have been completed and a report has been submitted to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for review.
All major concerns and interests of the three services have been incorporated into the proposed structure, he said, adding that service chiefs would continue to be responsible for raising, training and sustaining forces, while theatre commanders would oversee operational deployment.
"We are hopeful that the next setup which is coming under the new CDS should be able to take the journey forward and in the next two to three years, we should be able to see it happening on the ground," he said.
Earlier, reviewing the NDA passing-out parade at Khadakwasla, General Dwivedi told cadets that Operation Sindoor had established a new benchmark for India's response to provocations.
"From contested grey zones to high-velocity hybrid warfare, today's security environment demands that those who serve must think sharply as they act," he said.
"Operation Sindoor demonstrated that and set the benchmark when national will was expressed with precision and resolve, defining how Bharat responds to provocation. That standard now belongs to you to uphold," the Army Chief said.
Describing the occasion as deeply personal, General Dwivedi recalled graduating from the same institution more than four decades ago.
"Today, as I stand before you at the far end of a life in uniform, preparing to doff mine as you prepare to don yours, I can tell you with certainty: what you begin here endures forever," he said.