Publication - MP-IDSA

Emerging Frontiers: Technology Absorption in the Indian Army

Publisher: Pentagon Press

In the 21st century, power on the battlefield is no longer defined by size or legacy, but by speed of adaptation. The world’s most advanced militaries are no longer just acquiring weapons; they are absorbing innovation at the pace of disruption. Emerging Frontiers confronts one of the most urgent challenges facing armed forces today: how to integrate technologies never built for war but rapidly redefining it. AI, drones, quantum computing and cyber systems now emerge from private labs and startups, not defence PSUs or primes. The race is no longer just for firepower - it is for technological fluency.

The book delivers:

A clear foundation in emerging and disruptive technologies.
Comparative insights from innovation ecosystems in the US, Israel, Ukraine and India.
Profound lessons from contemporary conflicts - Russia- Ukraine, Armenia-Azerbaijan and Israel-Hamas.
A blueprint for reforming India’s defence innovation culture.

But more than that, it delivers a powerful argument: India’s armed forces must not just adopt technology - they must lead it. Absorption is not a matter of buying more. It is about building the capacity to experiment, adapt, co-create and lead in an environment where yesterday’s solutions are obsolete tomorrow. The book is essential for those who believe that the future of national security will belong to nations that learn faster, adapt smarter and move first. It calls for organisational ambidexterity, cultural agility and a shift in mindset, where military personnel are not only end-users but also innovators, collaborators and strategic technologists.

ISBN: 978-81-984458-8-9,
Price: ₹ 995/-
E-copy available

India–European Union Defence Cooperation: Avenues for Collaboration

Defence and security cooperation can become the mainstay of the India-EU relationship.

Japan and Australia Deepen Defence Cooperation

Japan and Australia have strengthened their defence partnership, exemplified by the August 2025 US$ 6 billion Mogami-class frigate deal.

Shigeru Ishiba’s Diplomatic Legacy

While Prime Minister Ishiba’s untimely exit marks the return of political instability in Japan, he helped navigate Japan through extreme international uncertainty.

Charlie Kirk’s Killing Bares Rising Extremism in the US Body Politic

Political violence in the US has increased in recent times, with Charlie Kirk’s killing the latest instance of rising extremism in the US body politic.

Small Modular Reactors and India: Institutional Drivers and Challenges

Given India’s future energy demand and need for clean energy, Small Modular Reactors (SMR) are a suitable option.

Niranjan Chandrashekhar Oak , Bhawna Budhwar |
|
Issue Brief

North Korea’s Increasing Military Cooperation with Russia: Implications for India

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022, the military engagement between North Korea and Russia has significantly increased. Apparently, the signing of a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ agreement with Moscow in June 2024 would further enhance the military capabilities of Pyongyang. On the other hand, India’s diplomatic relationship with North Korea has continued under the ‘Act East Policy’ of the Narendra Modi government. Moreover, in the backdrop of New Delhi’s new strategic alignment in the ‘Indo-Pacific’ with Quad partners, India has not abandoned Pyongyang. However, North Korea’s nuclear proliferation activities with Pakistan has been an issue of deep concern to New Delhi. In this regard, the Russian space, nuclear and military technologies may reach Islamabad through Pyongyang. Russian support to North Korea can also complicate India’s relations with the Quad members as New Delhi has a close partnership with Moscow. Therefore, there can be military and strategic implications for India as a result of the deepening military alliance between North Korea and Russia.

China’s Rising Foreign Ministry: Practices and Representations of Assertive Diplomacy

Foreign ministries play a crucial role in shaping a country’s behaviour on the global stage. As the primary institutions responsible for managing international relations, they engage in diplomacy and develop and implement foreign policies, representing the nation’s interests abroad. Foreign ministries coordinate diplomatic efforts, negotiate treaties, and engage in dialogue with other countries, international organisations and non-state actors. They also analyse global trends and provide strategic advice to government leaders, ensuring that national policies align with international realities. An essential function of foreign ministries is to protect and promote their country’s economic, security and political interests. This involves fostering bilateral and multilateral relations and managing crises, conflicts and peace-building efforts. Foreign ministries maintain direct communication channels through embassies and consulates with foreign governments and citizens, facilitating cultural exchanges and mutual understanding.

Pre-emption, Precision and Perception: Strategic and Doctrinal Lessons for India from Operations Rising Lion and Midnight Hammer

Warfare today is characterised not merely by territory gained or adversaries neutralised, but by the ability to shape perceptions, compress timelines and dominate across multiple domains. Contemporary wars have witnessed a tectonic shift in the goals of war, the rules of war, the players and the instruments of war, reshaping its character and unlimiting its boundaries. It is an era of C5ISR-based saturation stand-off attacks with space-based NPT and AI empowering precision strikes, while quantum communication makes the channels secure. Technology is transforming the character and the future of warfare.

Kautilya’s Arthashastra: The Intellectual Foundations of Ancient Indian Political Thought

The intellectual foundations and the strategic vocabulary of contemporary geopolitical discourse is characterised by two elements—its heavy borrowing from the ancient civilisations of the Near East, Greece, Rome, and even China; and a near complete omission of anything Indian. If the ‘axial age’1 in these geographies represented a critical, reflective turn of transcendental significance to social, political and philosophical affairs, the contemporaneous Indian civilisational experience can offer worthy contributions, in both confirming the universality of strategic traditions abroad and establishing its cultural peculiarity. Perhaps, the most consequential output (from the standpoint of the ancient Indian state and statecraft) of the intense cultural interactions between different philosophical and intellectual traditions in India, emerging since the 6th century BCE, is Kautilya’s Arthashastra—a classic Indian treatise on statecraft.