India is expanding its defense wing presence globally, according to Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande

 India is expanding its defense wing presence globally, according to Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande

During the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, General Pande said that India is expanding its defense wings globally and that the Army is eager to increase the extent and magnitude of cooperative military training and exercises with friendly foreign partner countries.

With regard to the ongoing border dispute with China in eastern Ladakh, India's outlook emphasizes respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, and especially peaceful dispute resolution along with adherence to international law, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Manoj Pande stated on Friday morning.

During the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, General Pande said that India is expanding its defense wings globally and that the Army is eager to increase the extent and magnitude of cooperative military training and exercises with friendly foreign partner countries.

Examining the contemporary geopolitical upheavals, he emphasized the need of recognizing the "renewed currency" of hard power and the increasing importance of national security in international politics.

In the midst of hopelessness and shifting geopolitics, the Chief of Army Staff referred to India as the "bright spot". "Our viewpoint emphasises respect for sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of all nations, equality of all, the peaceful settlement of disputes, avoidance of use of force and adherence to internationally recognized rules, laws and regulations," Gen. Pande stated without elaborating.

According to the Chief of Army Staff, India's dedication to actively involving all parties has been "unwavering and enduring" throughout time. "We are aware of our place in the developing international framework in the military sphere. The speaker expressed his eagerness to expand the reach and magnitude of their cooperative training and exercises, as well as their interoperability, sub-regional viewpoints, and exchange of best practices with amicable international partner countries.

We are creating defense wings in new places throughout the globe to bolster our outreach for defense cooperation," he said. "The challenges we face are major but so are the possibilities that and collective wisdom and strength," said the Army Chief of Staff.

Along with certain new trend lines, Gen. Pande emphasized the "unprecedented churn in global landscape" that has started a series of events. "Amongst others, we need to make a particular note of the growing prominence of national security in international affairs as well as the renewed currency of hard power," he said.

"What started out as a health catastrophe turned into a national security incident is the pandemic. We are now dealing with a growing confrontation in West Asia, after the catastrophic events in Ukraine," he said.

According to Gen. Pande, "notable economic turbulence and weaponization of multitudes of attributes economic domains, from information to supply chains," intensify these instabilities and problems.

"Issues like radicalisation, terrorism, piracy, illegal migration, refugees as well as climate change add to the bouquet of global concerns," he said. With reference to India's growing international prominence, he said that the country has a legitimate voice that is "distinct, rooted in Indian ethos and effective in addressing the concerns of the Global South."

"India, together with our allies and like-minded nations, shares shared interests and principles like democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The basis for cooperative security activities is established by this alignment of common principles, according to Gen. Pande.

"The spin-offs of these efforts to collaborate are not restricted to security but transcended into the economic realm, technological development and capacity building, multilateral problem solving as well as diplomacy as well," he said, before adding, "Our initiatives are bedrock in the Indian way."

According to the Chief of Army Staff, technology is changing war fighting and strategic competitiveness in geopolitics like never before.

"In fact technology has recently emerged as a new strategic arena of geo-political competitiveness even as grey zone challenges in non-traditional domains seem to be spreading so is the probability as well as the arc of all out conflict," he said.

"Amidst such depression, it is my belief that India remains a bright spot." Along with is the "Cold-War" peace dividend "dwindling," but "the world seems to be fracturing in myriad ways," according to the Chief of Army Staff.

According to him, "new divisions" are emerging not just between the Global North and South but also between the East as well as the West. "An agile, resilient and consumer-driven economic has enabled us to brave the downturns in the economy of the Russia-Ukraine conflict," he said.

With the Center for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), the Indian Army is organising the 'Chanakya Defence Dialogue'. With an emphasis on developing a roadmap for cooperative security measures in the area to strengthen India's position as a "ready, resurgent, and relevant" partner in the region, the Dialogue seeks to conduct a thorough examination of security concerns in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.