The Army Commanders’ Conference, the apex biannual forum of the army, began in New Delhi on October 21 and runs until October 23. It brings together the army’s senior leadership to discuss the evolving security environment, operational preparedness, capability development and transformation initiatives. This is the first such conference chaired by General Dhiraj Seth, who took over as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on June 30, 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi.Defence minister Rajnath Singh will address the conference on the final day. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Raja Subramani, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and the secretary of the ministry of electronics and information Technology will also speak on contemporary security issues. The army’s land warfare doctrine will be released by the defence minister, which is meant to give the force an overarching framework for the changing character of warfare and future conflicts. The defence minister will also unveil the annual United Nations Journal and felicitate Army personnel who have made notable contributions as UN peacekeepers.The agenda follows the usual pattern for these meetings, the army’s leadership will review the security situation along the country’s borders, the regional and global environment, terrorism as well as other emerging challenges. They look at operational readiness, including deployment, logistics, infrastructure and the ability to respond to different conflict scenarios. Modernisation and weapons are discussed, covering new equipment, procurement, technology, surveillance, drones, counter-drone systems and capability gaps, along with lessons from ongoing international conflicts and recent operations. Defence indigenisation, personnel policy, training, welfare, financial management and organisational reforms are also on the table, as are proposed changes to doctrine, force structure and modernisation plans.The previous conference was held in New Delhi from April 13 to 16, 2026, under the previous army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who has since retired. Discussions in that meet had focused on modernisation, technology in combat operations, training and doctrine, and operational lessons from Operation Sindoor, with unmanned aerial systems and counter-unmanned aerial systems among the capability areas examined. The Army has designated 2026 as the year of Networking and Data Centricity, under its broader goal of becoming a future-ready force, and the April meeting also stressed the need to speed up indigenous defence production and strengthen coordination between military and civilian institutions.General Seth will also confer awards for green military stations and aviation flight safety, recognising environmental sustainability, resource management and a strong aviation safety culture. The conference is meant to let the Army’s senior leadership review ongoing initiatives, identify future thrust areas and set policy directions for a technologically enabled, adaptive and future-ready force.
About The Author
