Bengal: DGIS head visits Eastern Command, reviews digital push
Kolkata, Aug 12
Lt Gen Harsh Chhibber, who heads the Directorate General of Information Systems of the Indian Army, visited the Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Lt Gen Chhibber interacted with Lt Gen VMB Krishnan, General Officer Commanding‑in‑Chief, Eastern Command. "The interaction focused on advancing digital capabilities and leveraging technology for enhanced operational effectiveness," the Command said in a post on X.
The DGIS chief also interacted with officers of the Command, explaining the latest developments towards enhancing the information and technology capabilities of the Indian Army, the statement said.
The visit comes at a time when the Army is scaling up its use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and big data analytics across all levels to streamline operations and improve decision‑making. Officials said the ultimate aim is to process large volumes of battlefield data to enhance situational awareness and response times.
Under the programme, large language models are being put front and centre to allow the Army to interpret and summarise lengthy reports. They will also provide voice‑to‑text service, power AI chatboxes and facial recognition, and enable pattern and threat detection tools.
Feeds from aircraft, satellites, drones and ground sensor networks can also be monitored using this technology, which is to be in place by 2027. The Army will leverage the resulting solutions for counterintelligence, surveillance, logistics, open‑source intelligence, social media security, enemy equipment analysis and wargaming simulations.
The aim is also to optimise equipment targeting, predictive maintenance and navigation in GPS‑denied environments. The technology will aid in threat detection and operational planning.
The Army plans to embed AI articles into the military's technical baseline for all future procurements and may explore retrofitting select AI capabilities into legacy systems. A special task force has been formed with teams that include personnel from different commands.
While the Indian Air Force and Navy already have high‑tech embedded in their systems, the Army is now progressing towards the induction of the latest technology to help it fight wars more effectively. "The aim is to take this technology to the soldier who will actually be fighting the wars of the future. For this, high‑tech systems are being developed that are easier to understand," an official said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The focus on taking technology to the soldier level is crucial. All this AI and data analytics is useless if the jawans on the ground can't use it effectively. Good to see they're making it simpler to understand. Hope the training is equally comprehensive.
Impressive progress but I hope they're also investing in cybersecurity. With all this data being processed and transmitted, the risk of cyber attacks increases. The Army should ensure robust encryption and security protocols are in place alongside these new capabilities.
As someone who's followed defence tech developments, this is a significant step. The integration of AI for predictive maintenance and GPS-denied navigation is particularly promising. Good to see India's Army catching up with global standards.
Finally our Army is moving towards modern warfare! The use of LLMs for reports and voice-to-text will reduce the workload on officers significantly. But I do wonder about the human element – how will this affect the soldiers' decision-making skills in the long run?
The Eastern Command visit is timely given the situation at our borders. Digital push is essential but the Army must also ensure these systems are tested under extreme conditions. What happens when internet is down? Do we have fallback plans? These are critical questions that need answers. 🤔
D Deepika L < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.