President Drupadi Murmu on Friday said India’s enhanced defence management capability will help strengthen diplomatic and military partnerships and increase defence exports. It will also help India in maintaining a proactive stance in global security forums, said Murmu while addressing on the occasion of colours to College of Defence Management (CDM) , Secunderabad here. The senior strategic leadership in Indian defence will play an important role in positioning India as a major player in the international arena, responding pro-actively to global security threats, she said.
”I am confident that your collective efforts and individual excellence will help in realizing India’s vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047,” the President said. “Our armed forces personnel need to keep themselves updated with the latest technological developments as well as changing operational dynamics,” she said adding in this era of grey zone warfare and hybrid warfare, institutions such as CDM have an important role to play.
“The wars are fought beyond the battlefields. We are today witnessing psychological warfare,” she said. The President urged the officers to constantly evolve with time and strive for excellence in the rapidly changing security landscape. “It gives me immense pleasure to award the President’s Colours to this tri-service training institute. This occasion reflects the significant role the College of Defence Management plays in developing the strategic leaders of our Armed Forces for future.” ” I congratulate everyone involved in the journey of this institute over the past five decades and achieving high standards of training for officers of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard”, she said “It is heartening to know that apart from the Indian officers, hundreds of senior officers from friendly foreign nations have also been trained here over the years.
”This helps in further strengthening India’s international partnerships, the President said. This institute imparts knowledge and skills to the officers of armed forces for effective decision The CDM functions with a vision to provide solutions to current and future challenges faced by the Indian armed forces, she said. The advancements in technology have a deep influence on national security too, she said the traditional definitions and methods of warfare are being challenged by the emerging technologies and new strategic partnerships.
India is giving high priority to the emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, and utilizing them in Indian defence systems, for enhanced efficiency and global competitiveness. The Government of India has taken several measures to enhance indigenous capabilities of defence industry, she stated. The government is encouraging Indian and foreign investors to invest in our defence sector, she said. With emphasis on indigenization, many defence products have been identified for domestic manufacturing and will not be imported.
The time is now ripe for launching a new phase of self-reliance by manufacturing technologically advanced equipment within India, she said. Iin the field of defence modernization, India is focusing on a holistic approach that includes upgrading its conventional forces and embracing cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence, drones, cyber warfare capabilities, and space defence technologies. At the global level, India is focusing on building strategic defence partnerships. Through multilateral economic and military frameworks and engagements, India’s influence in regional and global defence discussions has grown significantly, she added.
