AI is transforming modern warfare—from autonomous drones to predictive intelligence—yet India must close gaps selectively, prioritising asymmetric capabilities, cross-Service integration, while keeping humans ultimately in command
Possibly more than in other domains, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly seen as central to the future of warfare—and in many ways, that future is already here. In the Russia–Ukraine war, AI is employed for data analysis and intelligence gathering, alongside the deployment of AI-powered autonomous attack drones. Ukraine has fielded Sky Sentinel, an AI-powered anti-aircraft system. In December 2024, it conducted an all-robot, combined-arms assault using ground and aerial drones against Russian forces.
Amid the noise over the Galgotia University scandal at the AI Impact Summit, what got overlooked was the Indian Army’s effort to showcase its use of AI. Addressing the summit, Lt. General Dinesh Singh Rana, chief of the Strategic Forces Command, revealed that the Army had employed AI predictive tools to counter Chinese attempts to overwhelm India’s positions in the Yangtse sector, north-east of Tawang, in December 2022. Previously, it was assumed that the Army had received prior warning from the United States (US).
Other officers at the event also shared insights. The overarching message was that AI is being integrated across command-and-control systems, autonomous weapons, and precision targeting, as well as in logistics, maritime domain awareness, predictive maintenance, electronic warfare, cyber operations, and countering misinformation. However, as Lt. General Vipul Singhal, Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff, emphasised, ultimate command responsibility remains with humans, particularly in scenarios involving the use of force.
The overarching message was that AI is being integrated across command-and-control systems, autonomous weapons, and precision targeting, as well as in logistics, maritime domain awareness, predictive maintenance, electronic warfare, cyber operations, and countering misinformation.
The Army’s display at Bharat Mandapam highlighted dual-use platforms designed for both military and civilian applications, including disaster management, cybersecurity, and governance. The SAM-UN system—a geospatial and AI-enabled situational awareness platform—is designed for mission planning, disaster response, and integration with smart command centres. The Army also showcased XFace, an AI-powered facial recognition system for identity verification, alongside an advanced Deepfake Detection and AI Cybersecurity System to counter media manipulation and malware. Another exhibit was an AI-enabled Driver Fatigue Detection device, which alerts personnel to drowsiness.
In October 2025, Lt. General Rajiv Sahni, then Director General of Information Systems (DGIS) during Operation Sindoor, highlighted AI’s role as a force multiplier for the Army. He stated that AI-based tools “enhanced surveillance, intelligence, and precision targeting.” These included the Electronic Intelligence Collation and Analysis System (ECAS), predictive modelling, and weather-forecasting tools. Trinetra—an AI-powered application integrated with Project Sanjay—provides a unified operational and intelligence picture at tactical and operational levels, collectively improving coordination and situational awareness.
India’s interest in AI for defence dates back to February 2018, when an AI Task Force was constituted. Its report was submitted by June 2018, but it took another year for the recommendations to be accepted. Consequently, in February 2019, the Defence Artificial Intelligence Council (DAIC) and the Defence AI Project Agency (DAIPA) were established. Later, in August 2019, an AI roadmap for Defence PSUs was formulated. In 2022, the Ministry of Defence highlighted its adoption of AI through the “AI in Defence” (AIDef) symposium and exhibition. The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched 75 products developed in collaboration with Defence Public Sector Units, private industry, academia, and research organisations. These included AI platform automation, autonomous and unmanned robotic systems, C4ISR solutions, speech and voice transcription and analysis systems, as well as an AI-based intrusion detection system.
Another indication of AI adoption in the Army came with its first offensive drone swarm system, acquired in February 2023.
On 17 October 2024, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V. Kamat launched the Evaluating Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (ETAI) Framework and Guidelines for the Armed Forces. The framework establishes criteria for trustworthy AI in defence and provides a risk-based structure with specific implementation measures. As Chauhan and Kama highlighted, AI applications must be reliable, robust, transparent, and resilient to adversarial attacks.
Meanwhile, the Army was simultaneously integrating AI-based systems into its operational plans. In 2021, it showcased an AI-enabled drone swarm of 75 UAVs at the Army Day parade in New Delhi, capable of executing simulated offensive missions and close-support tasks.
Another indication of AI adoption in the Army came with its first offensive drone swarm system, acquired in February 2023. Developed with support from the Bengaluru-based startup NewSpace Research and Technologies, the swarm is reportedly capable of striking targets at least 50 km into enemy territory. The drones carry munitions and can home in on moving armoured columns, artillery positions, and infantry bunkers. The swarming system operates using AI and edge computing, marking the start of an evolving contest between offensive drone swarms and counter-swarm defence systems. Much will depend on the sophistication of the AI guiding these drones.
The brief Operation Sindoor offered significant validation for the concepts and operational plans the Army had been implementing since 2019.
The new arms race is centred on AI, an area where India currently lags. One key issue is the quality of AI accessible to the Indian military. While India has made notable progress over the past five years, it remains clearly behind the US and China. A striking measure of this gap is in the number of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) deployed: the US employs millions, China hundreds of thousands, whereas India currently has around 38,000—expected to rise by another 20,000 soon. GPU count indicates an AI system’s computational capacity and speed, though it does not necessarily reflect functional quality, intelligence, or accuracy; smaller models can often achieve similar or better results. Other critical factors include data quality, algorithm efficiency, memory bandwidth, software stack, and related considerations.
Without integrated data from all three Services, AI models cannot cross-reference information effectively, and the military will lack a comprehensive operational picture.
Writing just before the summit, technology adviser Subimal Bhattacharji highlighted another issue when he pointed out that part of the Indian approach to AI was “characterized by a productive tension between ambition and institutional inertia.” The government, for its part, was doing its bit, but the procurement bureaucracy, inter-service rivalry, and historically risk-averse culture continue to slow the pace of adoption.
But other issues persist. For instance, at the summit, there was little visibility of the Air Force’s and Navy’s AI initiatives—it is unlikely that they are inactive. The Air Force, for example, has developed programmes to identify enemy aircraft and predict their intended courses of action. It has also contracted the Delhi-based company Veda Aeronautics to supply 200 AI-powered drones for swarm attacks. This highlights that the three Services—the Army, Air Force, and Navy—have yet to achieve full integration, which is crucial for the optimal use of AI technologies. Without integrated data from all three Services, AI models cannot cross-reference information effectively, and the military will lack a comprehensive operational picture.
India may lag in AI overall, but it must find ways to close the gap in defence—because coming second in the military technology race is simply not acceptable. Competing with China across all AI domains is unrealistic. Instead, the Indian military should adopt a selective approach, prioritising the development of asymmetric capabilities and strategic partnerships that can deter coercion while preserving India’s strategic autonomy.
Manoj Joshi is a Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Manoj Joshi is a Distinguished Fellow at the ORF. He has been a journalist specialising on national and international politics and is a commentator and ...
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