The character of warfare is shifting faster than most military institutions can adapt. Battlefields are becoming transparent, drone-saturated, data-driven and dominated by long-range precision, electronic interference and multi-domain manoeuvres. In such an environment, legacy strengths alone cannot guarantee battlefield success.

The recently concluded Cavalry Memorial Symposium offered a clear and timely reminder: India’s Mechanised Forces stand at a critical inflection point. What emerged strongly from the deliberations is that tanks and infantry combat vehicles remain central to decisive land warfare but they need to evolve. The symposium made this evolution unmistakably clear – mechanise, forces must transition from platform-centric structures to networked, sensor-rich, electronically resilient systems of systems. Survivability now depends as much on signature management, counter-UAS layers, electronic protection and integrated ISR as it does on armour thickness. Firepower must extend beyond line-of-sight, enabled by manned – unmanned teaming and AI-supported targeting. Mobility must be matched by the ability to operate in contested electromagnetic environments. The soldier and crew must now be as fluent in data and autonomy as in gunnery and manoeuvre. The event was graced by Chief of the Army Staff who in his Keynote Address clearly spelt out the roadmap and timelines for Indian Army’s modernisation plans.

Equally compelling was the discussion on leadership. Technology may redefine tactics, but it does not replace judgment. Future commanders must lead in a battlespace shaped by invisible threats, compressed decision cycles and multi-domain dependencies. This demands intellectual agility, professional curiosity and a willingness to challenge outdated assumptions. Modernisation, therefore, is not just about new platforms, it is about new thinking. The symposium has set the tone. The Indian Army must carry the momentum forward, ensuring its mechanised arm remains the decisive instrument of national power in the decades ahead.

This issue also carries in-depth analyses on India’s neighbourhood, where political instability and internal turbulence continue to shape regional security. Indo-Russia relations receive special focus as well, timed with President Putin’s upcoming visit to India. The partnership appears poised for renewed momentum, even as a wider global reset unfolds.