“No Runners-Up in War”: CDS Anil Chauhan Stresses Need for Technological Superiority in Defence

General Chauhan began his address with examples from historical battles, including the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), Waterloo, and the Gallipoli Campaign. He said, "There are no runners-up in war. Only the victors write history." This harsh reality has driven military leaders for centuries to seek every possible advantage over their enemies.

He said that while war strategy used to be primarily based on geography, technology is now playing a more decisive role than geography. He also said that space is no longer merely a support zone, but has become a decisive battlefield. He said, today's technological advancements have made space a domain that can be protected, controlled, and usurped from adversaries. This conference was organized by the Manoj Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). General Chauhan said that the stakes are always high in any conflict, as "the very existence and future of a nation depend on the outcome of the war."

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has stated that technologies used in the defense sector must be indigenous, not just hardware, but also software. True strategic autonomy will only be achieved when our code is as indigenous as our hardware. He said that digital sovereignty requires control over the algorithms, data, and chips that run defense equipment.

The Defense Minister also noted that modern defense preparedness is now based on invisible technologies, such as secure data architectures or encrypted networks. These technologies may not attract the same attention as a missile, aircraft, or warship, but they are crucial to ensuring the right equipment arrives at the right time and that all systems communicate seamlessly with each other.