Amidst the ongoing talks related to the creation of theatre commands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed the Ministry of Defence to swiftly implement concrete steps to achieve greater jointness between the armed forces of India in order to meet future challenges and to prevail against any eventuality.
Modi was speaking at the 16th Combined Commanders’ Conference, inaugurated at the Eastern Command headquarters at Vijay Durg, formerly known as Fort Williams, in Kolkata, today.
Speaking at the first major Armed Forces conference post Operation Sindoor, the Prime Minister, while hailing the Armed Forces for the success of Operation Sindoor, also praised its role in nation building, anti-piracy, safe return of Indian citizens from conflict zones, as well as providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) assistance to friendly countries.
During his speech, Modi instructed the Ministry of Defence to swiftly implement concrete steps to achieve greater jointness, Atmanirbharta, and innovation to meet future challenges and to prevail against any eventuality.
Later, the PM was briefed on the operational readiness of the forces in the context of the new normal created by Operation Sindoor, the future of warfare in the context of emerging technology and tactics. The Prime Minister also reviewed the reforms implemented in the last two years and the plan for the next two years.
This year, the conference, a biennial event, bears the theme ‘Year of Reforms – Transformation for the Future’, in line with the ongoing modernisation and transformation of the Armed Forces. The 15th edition of CCC was held in Bhopal in 2023.
The three-day conference is the apex-level brainstorming forum of the Armed Forces, bringing together the nation’s top civil and military leadership to exchange views at the conceptual and strategic levels. During the next two days, the deliberations will seek to further strengthen the Armed Forces, which are agile and decisive in an increasingly complex geostrategic landscape.
Continuing with the tradition of inclusive engagement, the conference will feature interactive sessions with officers and personnel of various ranks from the Armed Forces, ensuring that field-level perspectives enrich the discussions at the highest level.
During the recently held Ran Samwad-2025 at the Army War College, Mhow, both the Naval Chief and Air Force Chief presented conflicting opinions regarding the creation of theatre commands. While Admiral DK Tripathi has called for the rollout of theatre commands as the “ultimate goal”, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh had cautioned against succumbing to pressure to implement something hastily, stressing that it should not be done merely for the sake of doing it.
Recently, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi had also backed the creation of a theatre command, stating that it is very important and is needed. “It is the answer to have unity of command. We need only one commander for execution, but we have to see how much time is needed to get to ‘theatreisation’,” he had said.
Meanwhile, the CCC 2025 also saw the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, among others. While the Defence Minister will address the Commanders on September 16, the Chief of Defence Staff will do it on September 17.