From setting up Army Design Bureau Cells at Command Headquarters to creating a full-time organisation to act as an adversarial force for realistic wargaming and training, the Army Commanders’ Conference, which concluded in New Delhi on 2 April 2024, discussed almost everything to further the government vision of modernisation through indigenisation.

Held in a hybrid format, the biannual event commenced with a virtual session chaired by chief of army staff, General Manoj Pande on 28 March 2024. This was followed by in-person discussions on April 1 and 2. The senior leadership of the army brainstormed a wide array of security-related aspects, including ongoing transformation initiatives, leveraging technology and innovation for capability development, enhancing operational preparedness, addressing emerging security and HR-related issues.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh in his keynote address on 2 April 2024, reaffirmed the nation’s trust in the Indian Army, acknowledging its indispensable role in national security. He applauded the stellar role of the army in