A top military conference that began on Thursday in Bhopal and will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 1 will bring into sharp focus India’s renewed push for Theaterisation to make the best use of its military’s resources to fight future wars, the operational readiness of the armed forces in the backdrop of the lingering border row with China, and progress towards self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector. The theme of the three-day Combined Commanders’ Conference is Ready, Resurgent, Relevant.
“During the conference, deliberations will take place on a wide range of national security issues, including jointness and theaterisation in the armed forces,” the PMO said in a statement. “Armed forces preparation and progress in the defence ecosystem towards achieving ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) will also be reviewed.” “At the moment, the most important issues for the armed forces are theaterisation, the operational readiness of the armed forces, and self-reliance.” “We can expect progress in all of these areas because the Prime Minister is himself providing direction to strengthen the armed forces,” said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd), director general of the Centre for Air Power Studies.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Chief of Defence Staff, the three service chiefs, and top armed forces commanders are among those attending the conference. Personnel below the rank of officer (PBOR) will also be present at the conference.
Significance of the Conference
The conference takes place at a time when the government is attempting to pass legislation in Parliament that would allow commanders of tri-service organisations to take action against service personnel from any of the three services who are serving under existing or future joint commands or institutions to ensure discipline and effective discharge of duties.
When it comes to tri-services issues, the existing legal framework of the armed forces has limitations because officers of one service lack the authority to exercise disciplinary and administrative powers over personnel of another service. A three-star general in command of a joint command, for example, cannot take action against the air force or navy personnel serving under him.
Efforts to push Theaterisation regained momentum after General Anil Chauhan took over as CDS in September 2022; momentum had been lost after his predecessor, General Bipin Rawat, died in a helicopter crash in December 2021.
Significance of Theaterisation
General Rawat’s Theaterisation model sought to establish four integrated commands: two land-centric theatres, an air defence command, and a maritime theatre command. This is being reworked in response to the Indian Air Force’s reservations about the joint structures that were previously under consideration. There are 17 single-service commands spread across the country in the armed forces. The army and the air force each have seven commands, while the navy only has three. Creating theatres would entail combining existing commands.
According to officials, the conference will also cover the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A), and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies retain over 60,000 troops and advanced weaponry in the Ladakh theatre. So far, the Indian and Chinese armies have held 17 rounds of talks, but issues at Depsang in the Daulet Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in the Demchok sector remain on the table. For nearly three years, the two sides have been at odds.
The conference’s agenda will include a strong emphasis on self-reliance in defence, according to officials, on the same day the defence ministry signed contracts worth 32,100 crores for the purchase of indigenous military hardware to strengthen the armed forces’ capabilities.
Self-Reliance in Defence Sector
India has set aside 75% of this year’s defence capital procurement budget for purchasing weapons and systems from domestic manufacturers, in an effort to open up new avenues for achieving self-reliance goals and increasing defence exports.
The domestic sector’s share of the defence budget has never been higher. In 2022-23, India set aside 68% of its military capital acquisition budget for indigenous purchases, 64% in 2021-22, and 58% in 2020-21. This year, approximately 1 lakh crore has been set aside for domestic procurement, compared to 84,598 crores, 70,221 crores, and 51,000 crores in the previous three years.
Aside from allocating a separate budget to purchase locally manufactured military hardware, the government has taken a number of steps to promote self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector, including increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) from 49% to 74% and notifying hundreds of weapons and systems that cannot be imported.
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