Key Points

According to a statement issued from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the afternoon, while addressing the inauguration function of the conference, the Prime Minister complemented the Indian armed forces for the success of Operation Sindoor as well as the integral role played by the armed forces in nation building, anti-piracy, safe return of Indian citizens from conflict zones as well as providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief assistance to friendly countries.

"In line with 2025 being the 'Year of Reforms' in defence sector, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Defence to swiftly implement concrete steps to achieve greater jointness, atmanirbharta (self-reliance), and innovation to meet future challenges and to prevail against any eventuality," the statement issued by PMO said.

According to the PMO statement, Prime Minister Modi was briefed on the operational readiness of the armed forces in the context of the new normal created by Operation Sindoor, the future of warfare in the context of emerging technology and tactics.

"Prime Minister also reviewed the reforms implemented in the last two years, and the plan for the next two years," the PMO statement added.

Held once every two years, this conference is the apex-level brainstorming forum of the Indian armed forces that brings together the nation's top civilian and military leadership to exchange views and lay the groundwork for the future development of India's military preparedness.

The theme of the conference this year is 'Year of Reforms - Transformation for the Future', which is in line with the ongoing modernisation and transformation of the Armed Forces.

"Over the next two days, the conference would conduct a holistic review of various structural, administrative, and operational matters based on feedback from across the armed forces, preparedness of the armed forces in the face of increasing global uncertainties, as well as discussions to develop the roadmap for implementation of the vision of the Prime Minister," the PMO statement said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has also issued a statement claiming that the conference in Kolkata focused on driving transformative reforms across the Indian armed forces, and deliberations are being held on a wide range of strategic issues, namely armed forces modernisation, jointness, integration, and enhancing operational readiness for multi-domain warfare.

- IANS