As the first ever chief from the Corps of Engineers, General Manoj Pande is perhaps the right man to lead the transformation of the Indian Army, which is now stepping into newer domains such as space, cyberspace and artificial intelligence. The general has termed 2023 as the Army’s ‘Year of Transformation’. All the same, there are operational and organisational challenges before him. The transformation from the system of each service having its own regional commands into setting up of integrated commands in each theatre is getting slowed down because of operational requirements on the China and the Pakistan borders. Then there is the Agnipath scheme, which would shake up the Army’s centuries-old regimental system.
In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, General Pande talks about the ongoing transformation process of the Army as well as its current operational challenges, including the situation on the borders and in strife-torn Manipur.
Excerpts:
Q/ The Army has designated 2023 as the ‘Year of Transformation’. What are its main features?
A/ ‘Transformation and change management’ remains a cornerstone of the Army’s quest for future readiness. The main factors that have necessitated this change are the unprecedented trends that are shaping the geostrategic landscape, the limitless potential of disruptive technologies, the transforming character of modern wars and the profound changes in the socio-economic domain.
The purpose of the ‘transformation’ is to enhance our preparedness and to bring in more efficiency in functional and administrative domains. The ‘transformation road map’ has five main pillars:
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