In a visionary move, the Indian Army, with a strength of 12 lakhs, is embarking on a journey to tap into the rich reservoir of ancient Indian wisdom in statecraft, strategy, diplomacy, and warfare to prepare itself for the challenges of the future. Recently, a hybrid panel discussion on the topic “Evolution of Indian military systems, war-fighting and strategic thought- current research in the field and way forward” for Project Udbhav was completed by the Indian Army and the United Service Institution of India (USI).

This endeavour, known as "Project Udbhav," represents an initiative by the Army to rediscover India's heritage of statecraft and strategic thought as drawn from ancient Indian texts.

According to the official statement released by the Ministry of Defence, the project aims to explore the rich historical narratives of India in the areas of statecraft and strategic ideas. It concentrates on a wide range of topics, such as indigenous military systems, historical texts, regional texts and kingdoms, thematic studies, and complex Kautilya studies.

The initiative stands testimony to the Army’s recognition of India’s age-old wisdom in statecraft, strategy, diplomacy, and warfare, the statement said, adding that Project Udbhav seeks to bridge the historical and the contemporary. “The goal is to understand the profound depths of indigenous military systems, their evolution, strategies that have been passed down through the ages, and the strategic thought processes that have governed the land for millennia,” it said.

In addition to re-discovering these narratives, Project Udbhav aims to create an "indigenous strategic vocabulary" that is firmly ingrained in India's "multifaceted philosophical and cultural tapestry." The overall aim is to integrate age-old wisdom with modern military pedagogy, it stated.

According to the statement, since 2021, the Indian Army has been working on compiling Indian stratagems from ancient texts. A book listing 75 aphorisms from these texts has already been published under this project. The first scholarly outcome of this initiative, released in 2022, is titled “Traditional Indian Philosophy…Eternal Rules of Warfare and Leadership.”

The recent seminar gathered scholars, serving officers, and veterans to study ancient texts dating from the 4th century BC to the 8th century BC, with particular attention to figures like Kautilya, Kamandaka, and The Kural. The session was chaired by Lt-General Vinod G Khandare (retired), principal adviser in the defense ministry, and featured a keynote address by Lt-General Raju Baijal, the Army's director-general of strategic planning. The panel included scholars, veterans, and serving officers, such as Dr. Kajari Kamal, an expert in Military Education.

In connection with this, USI will conduct a Military Heritage Festival on October 21 and 22, to acquaint “future thought leaders with the dynamics of comprehensive national security with special emphasis on India’s strategic culture, military heritage, education, modernization of security forces and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” according to an Army statement.

By reintroducing these classical teachings into contemporary military and strategic domains, the Indian Army aims to nurture its officers to apply ancient wisdom in modern scenarios and also allow a more profound understanding of international relations and foreign cultures, the statement added.

Image source: PIB