In the exhibition halls of Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru, the Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi spoke exclusively to Firstpost on a range of topics, from the service’s interaction with the industry and artificial intelligence (AI) integration.
He also spoke about the unprecedented joint sortie he undertook with Air Chief Marshal AP Singh in the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas– the first time in history that two service chiefs have flown a fighter jet together.
Here are 5 exclusive insights from the Chief of Army Staff:
Speaking about the Army’s focus on technology, especially indigenous technology, General Dwivedi highlighted the military’s evolving relationship with the industry.
“I have wanted industry to understand the Army’s requirement, and for the Army to upgrade itself to absorb the technology. What I’m seeing at Aero India 2025 is both sides [rising to the occasion]. That is, the Army, its aspirations have risen. And as far as the industry is concerned, it has met the aspirations.
What is most significant, General Dwivedi went on to say, is the homegrown nature of these advancements. “All the technology that is coming up is of Indian origin,” he said, spotlighting the growing role of indigenous solutions in military modernisation.
This aligns with the Indian government’s push for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) and the drive to reduce reliance on foreign defence imports. The vision has been to turn India from a defence equipment importer to an exporter on par with major world powers.
When asked about the absorption of Artificial Intelligence (AI)– a technology that has created buzz the world over– in the Army, General Dwivedi pointed to the AI Centres of Excellence (CoE).
“We already have an AI Centre of Excellence at BEL’s location which is managed by so many other companies that have come as volunteers to collaborate with the Army.”
“A crucial aspect of AI is having credible data. You must be able to extract intelligence from it,” he noted, before speaking about the work being done on using AI for predictive analytics in military operations.
“Predictive analysis is the first step we are working on, and in terms of generative AI, we are engaging with BEL and other companies. We have begun that in a big way,” he said.
He also pointed out that Generative AI is set to be crucial when it comes to on-ground operations.
“For example, the maintenance of the AMA [Advanced Medium-Range Artillery]– generative AI will play a very important role. So working with other companies, we should be part of the journey together,” he said.
The Army’s increasing reliance on robotics was another key area of discussion. It is well-known that the Army is collaborating with industry from the conceptual stage in the development of robotic solutions.
Reiterating this, General Upendra Dwivedi said, “When there is a thought in our plan, we sit with the industry and conceptualise it together. Then, they propose Spiral 1, Spiral 2, Spiral 3…” he explained, describing the development process that allows for phased improvements in robotic systems.
Currently, the Army’s robot mules are being deployed for surveillance, logistics, and even as weapon platforms. “In the future, they will even be capable of carrying wounded personnel,” he said.
At Aero India 2025, the historic sortie undertaken by General Dwivedi and Chief of Air Force, AP Singh, in a Tejas fighter jet, has generated a lot of buzz at the exhibition.
This marked the first instance of an Army and an Air Force Chief flying together in a fighter aircraft.
“When both the chiefs were flying together[…]the message conveyed to all ranks of the Army and Air Force,” General Dwivedi said.
Another symbol of great importance from this was the confidence displayed in the platform. “The platform we flew was indigenous, which reflects our trust in ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat.’ This is the way forward,” he stated.
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