India's 2025 Military Reality: Mastering Hybrid War & Strategic Restraint

• India's 2025 military environment is defined by hybrid, politically constrained conflicts, fought across psychological and informational domains, as exemplified by Operation Sindoor.
• Operation Sindoor showcased strategic restraint and controlled escalation, highlighting the challenge of public perception misinterpreting such actions as weakness.
• Critical military needs include accelerated modernization of air power, scaling up drone technology with domestic manufacturing, and strengthening cyber defenses.
• The relevance of Theatre Commands for hybrid conflict on the Western front is debated, while internal cohesion and civil-military coordination are crucial strategic assets.
• Future Indo-Pakistan conflicts are likely to be hybrid, emphasizing escalation management, internal cohesion, and addressing climate-driven military vulnerabilities.

Why It Matters: India's 2025 military strategy prioritizes mastering hybrid warfare through strategic restraint, tech upgrades, and internal cohesion.