New Delhi, May 19 (JKNS): Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday said Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s “smart power” in its most complete form, asserting that the country used military precision, diplomatic signalling, information control and economic resolve as a unified national response.
Addressing a seminar titled “Security to Prosperity, Smart Power for Sustained National Growth” at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, as per news agency JKNS, Army Chief said the operation carried out during the intervening night of May 6 and 7, 2025, was executed within a precisely planned 22-minute window.
According to Gen Dwivedi, Indian forces dismantled terror infrastructure, challenged long-standing strategic assumptions and then halted the operation “deliberately and purposefully”.
He said the operation reflected strategic maturity by knowing “which instrument to apply, at what intensity, and precisely when to convert a military moment into a strategic one.”
The Army Chief said the modern global order is witnessing increasing instability, distrust and shifting alliances, adding that the world has moved from economic interdependence towards strategic competition and coercion.
He noted that semiconductors, energy routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, and global supply chains have increasingly become tools of geopolitical leverage.
Highlighting the changing nature of conflicts, Gen Dwivedi said security is no longer merely a burden on economic growth but has become a prerequisite for sustained prosperity.
Referring to the concept of “smart power” introduced by political scientist Joseph Nye, the Army Chief said India must combine national strength with strategic wisdom to protect peace, accelerate growth and shape the global environment in its favour.
He also outlined a strategic framework based on the acronym “SMART” representing Statecraft, Manufacturing depth, Accelerating innovation, Resilience and Technology primacy.
Gen Dwivedi stressed the importance of mastering diplomatic, informational, military and economic tools simultaneously while strengthening indigenous manufacturing, innovation and technological leadership.
The seminar was organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) and attended by senior military officials, defence experts and international representatives. (JKNS)
