Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi addresses the ‘Sena Samvad’ event, at Manekshaw Centre, in New Delhi. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
India’s long-term economic growth and global rise will depend on strong national security, Chief of the Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi said on Tuesday (May 19, 2026), underlining that security has become the foundation for prosperity in an uncertain global environment.
Addressing a seminar on ‘Security to Prosperity: Smart Power for Sustained National Growth’ at the Manekshaw Centre, General Dwivedi said the world order is witnessing growing geopolitical competition, weaponisation of supply chains and technological dependencies that directly affect economic stability and national decision-making.
“Security is no longer a cause that prosperity must bear. It is the precondition for prosperity to commence its progressive journey,” he said, stressing that India must combine military strength, economic resilience, technological advancement and diplomatic outreach into a coherent national strategy.
The seminar, organised by Centre for Land Warfare Studies, brought together senior military officials, diplomats, policymakers, industry leaders and strategic experts to deliberate on the integration of various instruments of national power.
General Dwivedi warned that dependence on foreign supply chains, critical minerals and digital infrastructure has emerged as a major strategic vulnerability for nations. He said countries unable to produce critical technologies and defence systems domestically could eventually lose strategic autonomy and economic leverage.
Referring to recent global conflicts and disruptions in trade routes, the Army Chief noted that modern warfare now extends beyond battlefields and places sustained pressure on industrial production, governance systems and innovation ecosystems.
Highlighting the importance of indigenous capability development, he called for building a defence industrial base that is not only self-reliant but globally competitive. According to him, defence manufacturing and advanced technologies can become drivers of economic growth, innovation and exports.
General Dwivedi stressed the need to rapidly scale emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, quantum systems, autonomous platforms and advanced materials. He said the shrinking timeline from laboratory innovation to battlefield deployment requires closer coordination among government agencies, private industry and academia.
He added that strategic autonomy does not mean isolation, but the freedom to engage globally while safeguarding national interests through economic and technological resilience.
Published – May 19, 2026 03:26 pm IST
