On Wednesday, General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), stated that the Indian Army has successfully changed the focus in Jammu and Kashmir from terrorism to tourism.

“As we dig deeper into our past amalgamation of over 600-plus princely states, the military played a pivotal role for integration and amalgamation, including Hyderabad and Goa,” he said. Additionally, the Indian Army is allowing tourists to visit battlefields like Kargil and Galwan so they may experience them firsthand and develop empathy for the warriors who have sacrificed their lives for their country. According to him, around 42 trips have been cleared in the past three years owing to the Army Adventure Wing's one-window security clearance and coordination for such adventure programs.

Speaking to an audience at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) on the subject of "The Indian Army's Role and Contribution in Securing India's Growth Story," the army chief emphasised the Indian Army's critical role in defending the country's borders as well as in promoting national development, security, and strategic expansion. Gen. Dwivedi emphasised the importance of tourism in border regions. “The transformative potential of tourism is immense and recently exponential rise has been seen. We have identified 48 areas and ideas for promoting tourism along border areas have been mooted. With the targeted initiative, we have the potential to double our tourist numbers in the next five years. We have committed to promote adventure activities and provide support to organisers and tourist operators, to enhance footfall in the border area, upskilling locals in mountaineering and associated activities is part of it,” he said. 

The army's eight key programs, according to the chief, include the Trans-Himalayan walk, the "Soul of Steel" trek in Uttarakhand (Mountain Skill Survival Challenge), and the opening of the Siachen Glacier trek to the public as part of a larger border tourism campaign. The army chief stated that building strong infrastructure is key to long-term development, covering areas like roads, bridges, electricity, communication, farming, water, healthcare, sports, and education. The Indian Army is and will continue to be a vital source of security for a "Progressive" and "Peaceful" India by 2047, according to the General's opening remarks, which described security as a facilitator of sustainable growth rather than a barrier. 

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) mentioned that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was created under the leadership of General NC Vij, who had direct experience with the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake. Gen. Dwivedi has cited the late Gen. BC Joshi as an inspiration and said he exemplified professional soldiering and military leadership. “His views were very focused on all the issues of defence and that inspired me to announce a decade of transformation of the Indian Army within seven days of my takeover. Gen Joshi said that he wanted to be a role model and it was better to play the game from within,” he said.

The COAS highlighted the Indian Army's contribution to strengthening India's strategic influence on a global scale, taking part in UN peacekeeping operations and extending its defence diplomacy initiatives through defence wings across the globe.