Modern war is changing at a pace unseen since the nuclear age. Nations that master data-driven systems are shortening the time between detection and strike from hours to seconds. In that compression lies an advantage. In delay lies danger. For India, this is not abstract theory. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi this week, the message travelled well beyond the conference hall. It was not merely a celebration of digital innovation. It was a declaration of intent. India wants a decisive say in shaping the technologies that will define power in this century.
Beneath the speeches and demonstrations lay a harder question: can India use these new intelligent systems to break free from decades of defence dependence and build a military that is faster, smarter, and more self-reliant?
The new air superiority race
The race is already underway. Consider the air domain.
China fields the J-20, a fifth-generation stealth fighter designed not just for dogfights but for networked warfare. Beijing is already investing in sixth-generation aircraft concepts built around manned-unmanned teaming, where a pilot commands multiple autonomous drones in combat. These aircraft are not merely jets; they are flying data nodes.
The United States, meanwhile, is developing its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform, often described as a sixth-generation system, intended to operate alongside autonomous “loyal wingman” drones. The emphasis is clear — integration, speed, survivability.
In such a battlespace, air superiority will depend less on raw numbers and more on sensor fusion, data-sharing and machine-assisted targeting.
Even Russia is drawing on lessons from its war in Ukraine, which has accelerated work on electronic warfare and automated targeting. The conflict has become a harsh laboratory for real-time experimentation. Middle powers have moved decisively. Israel has demonstrated how advanced targeting and intelligence-correlation tools can magnify military impact.
Where does India stand in that race?
Drones, swarms and changing economics of war
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated a brutal truth — inexpensive drones can destroy expensive armour. Swarm tactics, hundreds of coordinated unmanned systems overwhelming air defences, are reshaping battlefield economics.
India has begun investing in swarm drone programmes through the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the iDEX framework. But the scale and speed of deployment will determine whether these efforts remain experimental or become operational doctrine.
If China can deploy drone swarms along contested borders, and if other powers can saturate maritime defences with autonomous systems, India must prepare not only to deploy similar capabilities but to defend against them.
India’s structural challenge
India’s armed forces have long grappled with ageing platforms, slow procurement and reliance on foreign suppliers. Intelligent systems offer a way out.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, advanced naval surveillance and precision munitions are now priority areas under India’s Defence Acquisition Procedure. The iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) scheme has opened doors for start-ups and private firms to work with the military.
There is another, less discussed opportunity: upgrading what already exists. Retrofitting older fighter aircraft with advanced threat-assessment modules, fitting armoured vehicles with computer-vision systems, and modernising electronic warfare suites can extend the life of existing assets at a fraction of the cost of replacement.
Instead of following the slow, step-by-step modernisation seen in Cold War militaries, India could embed intelligent capability directly into platforms, compressing two decades of progress into a few focused years.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation has stepped up work on swarm drones and autonomous underwater systems. Looser foreign investment rules have also encouraged partnerships with private industry. The pieces are falling into place. The question is whether they can be assembled fast enough.
Robotic ground systems
Robotic quadruped systems, often referred to as “robo-dogs”, have been tested by Chinese and American forces for reconnaissance and urban operations. Armed robotic platforms and unmanned ground vehicles are also under development globally.
Beyond patrol and reconnaissance, global militaries are exploring robotic infantry support units, humanoid or semi-autonomous systems that can assist soldiers in combat, carry supplies, or perform high-risk operations in hostile terrain. India could leverage similar technology to augment personnel on multi-front deployments.
These systems reduce risk to soldiers while expanding surveillance reach. They can patrol hazardous terrain, enter contested buildings, or serve as forward observers.
India’s armed forces, especially in high-altitude and counter-insurgency environments, could benefit from such systems. But integrating robotic units requires doctrinal clarity, training reform and budget prioritisation, not just procurement announcements.
Logistics: The hidden decider
History shows that wars are won as much by supply lines as by firepower. “Armies travel on their stomachs,” Napoleon famously observed. That truth holds in the digital age.
Data models can forecast spare part shortages, ammunition needs and maintenance failures before they disrupt operations. For India, with troops stationed from Himalayan heights to the Indian Ocean littoral, predictive supply management could prevent costly downtime and reduce waste.
As India moves towards integrated theatre commands, logistics and intelligence must speak the same language. Smart systems can serve as the bridge between services that have traditionally worked in silos.
Doctrine in machine age
Technology alone does not win wars. Strategy gives it meaning.
India’s doctrine has evolved since the Cold Start discussions of the early 2000s, yet it has not fully addressed the moral and operational dilemmas of automated warfare.
If a decision-support system recommends a strike, who carries legal responsibility? How should India respond if an adversary’s automated systems escalate faster than human commanders can react? What limits should govern the use of lethal autonomous weapons, particularly given India’s stated commitment to strategic restraint?
These are not academic debates. They are battlefield realities in waiting.
India’s engagement in global technology governance forums, including discussions at the AI Impact Summit, suggests awareness that rules must keep pace with capability. Power without doctrine invites miscalculation.
Cyber and space battlefield
Modern warfare now extends far beyond land, sea and air.
Cyber attacks can paralyse command networks before the first shot is fired. Military satellites provide real-time intelligence, targeting data and communications. India has already flagged risks of adversarial space cooperation; during Operation Sindoor, officials raised concerns that China was providing real-time satellite intelligence support to Pakistan.
In response, India must strengthen its cyber defence architecture and invest in credible counter-space capabilities, including satellite jamming and electronic disruption, to deny adversaries a decisive informational edge. Space is no longer a passive domain; it is contested, and information superiority will decide the outcome of future conflicts.
The soldier of tomorrow
At the front line, change is already visible.
Advanced surveillance systems can process satellite feeds, signals intelligence and open-source data simultaneously, presenting commanders with a unified operational picture. Automated target recognition can ease cognitive strain and reduce errors.
For India, which faces conventional and sub-conventional threats across multiple fronts, such systems could enhance border surveillance, strengthen cyber defence and improve counter-insurgency operations through pattern analysis and facial recognition.
The aim is not to replace personnel but to augment them, to allow soldiers, sailors and pilots to act with clearer insight and greater speed.
From platforms to intelligent systems
India’s defence inventory still carries the weight of legacy platforms and prolonged procurement cycles. But the revolution in warfare is less about replacing every tank or aircraft and more about embedding intelligence into what already exists.
Retrofitting aircraft with advanced threat assessment modules, equipping armoured vehicles with computer-vision systems, and deploying predictive maintenance tools across fleets, these upgrades can extend operational life while enhancing combat relevance.
Instead of copying Cold War modernisation timelines, India has an opportunity to compress capability-building into a shorter window through focused technological infusion.
Ambition versus Inertia
India has signalled intent. A Defence AI Council has been formed. A Defence AI Project Agency framework has been released. Funding for innovation has increased. Yet institutional habits persist. Procurement processes remain slow. Inter-service rivalry can stall integration. Risk aversion often outweighs experimentation.
The summit in New Delhi offered a rare chance to align India’s thriving civilian technology sector with defence needs. The talent pool is strong. The capital is growing. The strategic environment is pressing. The opportunity to leap ahead exists, but it will not last forever.
Countries that embed intelligent systems into their armed forces today will shape the security order of the next twenty years. For India, with unsettled borders and maritime ambitions, this is not optional. The code of modern conflict is being written in real time. Whether India becomes one of its principal authors will depend not on rhetoric, but on resolve.
