Conclave 2023: Operational readiness at high level, says Army chief Manoj Pande amid tensions with China, Pak 

The Indian armed forces are at a transformational phase where they are growing there operational efficiency while at the same time, cognisant of the threat from Pakistan and China, maintaining a high level of operational readiness, said Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande. 

Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2023, Army chief Gen Manoj Pande said the Indian military is taking a number of measures to modernise by exploiting the potential of niche technology. He said the roll out of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a game changer in warfare. 

“Transformation, the way we look at it, is to enable us to become a more modern, more agile and more battle-ready force to prepare us to meet all future challenges in an effective manner," he said. 

ON ATMANIRBHAR ARMED FORCES 
The Army chief said the government’s push for atmanirbhar or self-reliance, especially in the defence manufacturing sector, is a positive step. 
“Unless countries are self-reliant and have secure supply chains, it will be very difficult for them to address security concerns and move forward in the future,” said COAS Manoj Pande. 
The armed forces are complementing the overall effort to go atmanirbhar by being facilitators of government policy and providing a viable market, he said, adding that in recent years, the military’s use of indigenous products has grown. 
He also stressed the need to wean the Indian armed forces off its dependence on defence exports from superpowers like US, Russia and France. 

ON AGNIPATH SCHEME 
The Army chief said the Agnipath recruitment scheme, introduced by the Centre last year, is a win-win policy not just for the military but for the society and country at large. 
Calling Agnipath a transformational reform, Gen Manoj Pande acknowledged that getting the implementation right is key. Issues like training the recruits in a short frame of time is critical. 
“The initial feedback that I get from the regimental sectors, the youth that have come up are very enthusiastic and energetic. So I think that’s a very good sign.” 

ON LAC STAND-OFF WITH CHINA 
Amid heightened tensions between India and China along the Line of Actual Control, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande reiterated that the situation at the border remains stable and any and all developments are being closely monitored. 
Despite no signs of de-escalation by Indian and Chinese troops at the friction points of Depsang and Demchock in Ladakh, the Army chief said a resolution is around the corner. 
"Till the time a resolution happens, our deployment of forces, alertness level will continue to remain at a high level," General Pande said. 

ON LESSONS LEARNT FROM RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR 
There are profound lessons to be learnt from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, said Army chief Manoj Pande. He averred that these varied learnings, while valuable to the Indian Army, need to be adapted and applied to the Indian context. 
“Land will remain a decisive domain in warfare, especially in our case where we have contested land borders. The notion of victory will remain land centric in our context,” he said.