On Unity Day, 31 October 2025, I spoke at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue — Young Leaders Forum, held under the theme Veer Yuva: Empowering Youth for India’s National Security. The forum is organised by the Indian Army with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) at the Manekshaw Centre.
Next-Gen Warfare: the role of youth in digital strategy
I joined the closing panel, “Next-Gen Warfare: Role of Youth in Digital Strategy”, chaired by Sandeep Unnithan, Editor-in-Chief of Chakra News, alongside fellow panellists from research, industry and media. The day’s programme also featured Union Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju, the Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, and Shri Tejasvi Surya, MP.
The generation now entering the workforce grew up inside the domain the rest of the security establishment is still learning to defend.
Why youth belongs in this conversation
Conflict no longer waits for a declaration. Disinformation, ransomware against hospitals and utilities, attacks on satellite navigation and supply chains — these reach a country without a shot being fired. Defending against them needs more than uniforms and firewalls. It needs young engineers who understand systems, young analysts who understand information operations, and young professionals who can translate between technology and policy.
That is a capacity-building problem more than a technology problem, and it is one India is well placed to solve.
Our thanks to CLAWS and the Indian Army for the invitation, and to the students and young professionals who filled the hall and asked the sharpest questions of the day.
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