Ex-Army Chief Naravane on Op Sindoor: 'Militarily excellent, but lacked in information warfare'
Former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has said that while India's military response in Operation Sindoor was excellent, the country lost out in information warfare and building the narrative. In an interview, he stressed that narrative building is a continuous process that must begin long before a crisis.
On the controversial Agnipath scheme, General Naravane defended the policy, noting that personnel policies evolve over time. He pointed out that in the late 1970s, jawans served for seven years without pension, which later changed to 15 years with pension. The current four-year tenure with retention of some is a similar adjustment. He acknowledged that no policy is perfect and amendments, such as varying retention rates being considered by the Army, Air Force, and Navy, are natural.
Discussing Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence, General Naravane highlighted progress in drone and counter-drone technology, specifically mentioning indigenous company ideaForge. However, he admitted that India is still at the assembly stage with components largely imported, and achieving self-reliance will take time.
On cyber, space, and information warfare, he said the armed forces are moving toward a paradigm that integrates platforms, sensors, and artificial intelligence. Cyber warfare, he noted, must be incorporated into systems from the design stage, not as an afterthought.
Reflecting on Operation Sindoor, General Naravane said India's military response was excellent but the country fell short in shaping the narrative. He emphasised that narrative building must be a nationwide, continuous effort involving ambassadors, defence attachés, and trade delegations. 'Pakistan tried to set the narrative that they are victims of terrorism rather than what they actually are — the hub of terrorism,' he said.
