Asserting that Operation Sindoor "still continues", Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday (July 25, 2025) said the country's military preparedness must remain at a "very high" level, round-the-clock and throughout the year.
In his address at a defence seminar hosted at Subroto Park in New Delhi, he also said the military in future will also need "information warriors, technology warriors and scholar warriors." And, in a merging landscape of warfare, a future soldier will need to be a mix of all three "info, tech and scholar warriors," the CDS said.
The seminar on 'Aerospace Power: Preserving India's Sovereignty and Furthering National Interests' was held under the aegis of the 'No.4 Warfare and Aerospace Strategy Programme'.
The CDS said there are no runners-up in a war, and any military must be constantly alert and maintain a high degree of operational preparedness.
"An example is Operation Sindoor, which still continues. Our preparedness level has to be very high, 24x7, 365 days (a year)," Gen Chauhan said.
India launched Operation Sindoor early on May 7 and decimated multiple terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
Pakistan also launched offensives against India, and all subsequent counter-offensives by India were also carried out under Operation Sindoor.
CDS Chauhan Warns Against Foreign Tech Dependence, Urges Indigenous Drones
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan emphasized the urgent need for indigenous drone and anti-drone systems during a Delhi workshop. Highlighting lessons from Operation Sindoor, he warned that relying on foreign technology weakens national preparedness and limits production. Chauhan urged a focus on both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies to strengthen India’s defence against evolving aerial threats. | Video Credit: The Hindu
The military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours halted after they reached an understanding on the evening of May 10.
The CDS also emphasised the importance of learning about both 'Shastra' (warfare) and 'Shaastra' (knowledge system).