One year after Operation Sindoor: How India’s armed forces are transforming

New Delhi: The strikes that destroyed terrorist headquarters and hideouts in Pakistan took just 22 minutes. The exchange of fire they triggered lasted 88 hours. But the lasting impact of Operation Sindoor lies in how it has reshaped the way India's armed forces operate, modernise and prepare for future wars.

A year after the cross-border strikes, which escalated from punitive action against terrorist entities to the precise targeting of Pakistani military infrastructure, the armed forces have undergone some core changes. These include a push toward unmanned warfare, restructuring of war-fighting units, infusion of technology to reduce sensor-to-shooter timelines, and policy reforms aimed at shortening the gap between the development and deployment of weapon systems.

The Rewired Defence Ecosystem


The conflict offered several lessons for India, but what stood out was the critical importance of joint operations, rapid decision-making backed by credible situational awareness, and networked systems enabling swift action and response.

In the weeks and months that followed Op Sindoor, the armed forces reoriented their modernisation plans. A quick set of emergency purchases was undertaken to meet immediate requirements for drones, anti-drone systems, precision weapons and communication equipment, while medium-term plans for procurement in larger quantities were also cleared.

The numbers speak for themselves. In the past year, the defence ministry cleared ₹6.81 lakh crore procurements. In the year preceding Op Sindoor, approvals stood at ₹1.76 lakh crore. The procurements include unmanned fighters, stealth warships, long-range air defence systems, precision attack drones, low-cost anti-drone systems, space-based assets and indigenous missiles.

A clear lesson from Op Sindoor was the urgent need to create surge production capacity for weapon systems within the country. At the planning stage of the operation, the defence industry was consulted, and detailed plans were worked out for resupply and emergency manufacturing of weapons in case the conflict dragged on for weeks or months.

A key change now underway is the push to award long-term contracts to Indian industry, enabling the setting up of excess production capacity. This applies especially to ammunition and drone manufacturers. The larger plan is to ensure that stocks of ammunition and expendables like drones are sufficient for at least 40 days of intense conflict, with 60 days as the goal.

The Policy Reset

Op Sindoor also underscored the need for rapid technological infusion and constant upgrades to existing weapon systems. This was the first time in India that private sector companies were embedded with active combat units, with developers working on real-time feedback to upgrade systems such as drones and communication equipment in the field.

The old school procurement cycle, which would typically take three years from floating technical requirements to signing a contract with the lowest bidder, followed by another three years for supplies to commence, would be a death sentence to forward deployed troops facing constantly changing enemy technology.

Two major steps have been taken over the past year to correct this. First, emergency financial powers were granted to the armed forces, enabling procurements worth nearly ₹30,000 cr. Second, a complete overhaul of the defence acquisition procedure.

Under the new rules, set to be rolled out shortly, procurement timelines are being trimmed to ensure that the armed forces get the desired weapons 30-50% faster. A new fast-track mechanism will allow urgent purchases within six months, with deliveries to be completed in two years.

For experimental technologies being offered by startups and smaller firms, limited procurement - up to Rs 75 crore - will be allowed for field evaluation and testing.

Significantly, the government is finally revising the age-old L1 (lowest bidder) formula to give extra credits to Indian companies and startups that focus on R&D, and invest in owning intellectual property rights. This doctrinal shift from 'Made in India' to 'Owned by India,' with a focus on fostering the startup ecosystem with assured orders and protection from expensive trials that had to be conducted on a "no cost, no commitment" undertaking, will go a long way in strengthening the Indian defence manufacturing ecosystem.

The Structural Shift

Over the past year, force structures have also been reconfigured to emphasise unmanned warfare, integration of all domain capabilities and speed of operations. The focus is on creating modular, self-contained combat units capable of fast movement and decentralised combat.

The Army has been raising new formations in line with this vision - Rudra brigades, Bhairav battalions and Ashni platoons. These brigades are compact, networked units integrating infantry, armour, artillery, drones and logistics, enabling them to move swiftly and strike while remaining self-reliant. Bhairav battalions are significantly better-equipped units capable of cross-border missions and supporting special forces.