General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), stepped up and strengthened India’s ‘Atmanirbharta’ defence technology vision, inaugurating the ‘Agnishodh’ research cell at IIT Madras.
“The initiative is part of the Indian Army’s broader transformation framework, guided by the Five Pillars of Transformation articulated by the COAS. 'Agnishodh' specifically advances one of the pillars, Modernisation and Technology Infusion, and represents the Indian Army’s drive to seamlessly integrate academic research with real-time operational applications”, stated the official statement.
The Army Chief was speaking about India’s May 7 ‘Operation Sindoor’, a retaliatory strike in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack carried out by Pakistan-linked terrorists.
“General Upendra Dwivedi described the operation as a landmark, intelligence-driven response that redefined India’s counter-terrorism doctrine. He noted that the 88-hour operation was unprecedented in scale, range, depth, and strategic impact, and was executed across the DIME spectrum”, the press release added.
COAS lauded and acknowledged IIT Madras’s contribution in defence research. By appreciating the academic innovations, COAS highlighted the projects carried out by Indian Army Cells at IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, and IISc Bengaluru. He commended IIT Madras for its superior defence research, stating that projects like Project SAMBHAV and collaborations with Army Base Workshops on additive manufacturing are establishing new standards. In closing, he said that India's path to Viksit Bharat 2047 would be fuelled by AGNISHODH, the new IITM–Indian Army Research Centre, which would convert academic excellence into battlefield innovation.
“Agnishodh collaboration will further extend into the IIT Madras Research Park, working alongside entities such as the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development Centre (AMTDC) and Pravartak Technologies Foundation. This will serve as a unique platform to convert lab-scale innovations into field-ready technologies. The research cell will play a vital role in upskilling military personnel in key emerging areas, including additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, quantum computing, wireless communication, and unmanned aerial systems, building a tech-empowered human resource base within the Armed Forces,” the statement added.
Highlighting the evolving nature of warfare, he underscored that Indian Armed Forces are prepared for fifth-generation conflicts driven by non-contact warfare, strategic tempo, and psychological dominance. Emphasising Indian Army’s commitment to self-reliance under “Swadeshikaran Se Sashaktikaran,” he outlined key collaborations under national technology missions such as INDIAai, Chip-to-Startup, and Project QuILA, with MCTE Mhow as a strategic partner.
The Army Chief also paid a visit to the OTA Chennai and was briefed on the academy’s infrastructure, modern training methodologies, and initiatives undertaken to prepare future military leaders for contemporary challenges.
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