Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday reiterated that India will not engage in dialogue with Pakistan in the presence of terrorism, stating that “blood and water cannot flow together” and warning that any misadventure will be met with a decisive response.
Speaking at the Curtain Raiser of Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2025 at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, General Dwivedi referred to Pakistan’s alleged sponsorship of terrorism and the recent car blast attack in Delhi. “When that country sponsors terrorism, it’s a concern for us. Talks and terror cannot be together,” he said during a fireside chat at the event organised by the Indian Army in collaboration with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).
The Army Chief emphasised that India has the capability and preparedness to respond. “If Pakistan does something, then we are ready to teach it a lesson on how a neighbour should behave. Operation Sindoor was just a trailer; the full picture hadn’t even begun,” he added.
On defence preparedness, he underlined the need for swift and coordinated military decision-making. “Today’s war is multidomain. The Army cannot fight alone — the Air Force, Navy and CAPFs come together to give a strong fight. Decision-making time is short and actions must be taken at every level,” General Dwivedi said.
He also highlighted the strategic shift in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019. “Terrorism has declined sharply. This year, 31 terrorists were killed, 61 per cent of them Pakistanis. Stone-pelting and sloganeering have stopped. Tourism has risen and people who earlier left now want to return,” he said.
The Army Chief credited Army Goodwill Schools for shaping youth aspirations in the Valley. According to him, “a large number of children want to join these institutions, now run by doctors, engineers and six commissioned Army officers.”
A special address at the event was delivered by Rajiv Chandrasekhar, Former Minister of State for Electronics & IT and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. He stressed the critical connection between emerging technologies and national defence. “Trusted, indigenous tech ecosystems are vital for India’s long-term strategic strength,” he said.
The curtain raiser also featured a panel discussion on ‘Atmanirbharta in Defence – Key to Sashakt Bharat’, chaired by Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh, Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Capability Development & Sustenance). Experts from DRDO, private industry and academia discussed indigenous defence production, reforms in procurement, role of MSMEs and Defence Industrial Corridors, strengthening dual-use technologies and building resilient supply chains.
The Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2025 will be held on 27–28 November 2025 under the theme ‘Reform to Transform: Sashakt, Surakshit aur Viksit Bharat’, and will bring together domestic and global experts to deliberate on defence reforms, technological transformation, civil–military integration and India’s security priorities towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047.