General Dhiraj Seth takes over as Army Chief, unveils ‘VIJAY’ roadmap

Assuming charge as the 31st Chief of Army Staff on Wednesday, General Dhiraj Seth underlined the need to take forward the modernisation of the Army with “renewed energy and firm resolve to respond effectively to the evolving security environment.”

Assuming charge as the 31st Chief of Army Staff on Wednesday, General Dhiraj Seth underlined the need to take forward the modernisation of the Army with “renewed energy and firm resolve to respond effectively to the evolving security environment.”

He said the aim is to build a technology-enabled, future-ready Army “which is fully empowered and capable of operating across multiple domains.”

Stating that the Indian Army is a combat-ready and battle-hardened force, fully prepared and capable of meeting every challenge in the operational domain, he listed his focus areas in the acronym ‘VIJAY’, of which ‘V’ stands for Vigilance along borders and against emerging threats.

Gen Seth said that ‘I’ stands for Innovation and Transformation and that his focus will be on innovation in both doctrine and technological solutions. “Innovation will remain an integral part of our thinking, our systems and our capability development. At the same time, necessary transformations will be undertaken in keeping with the changing character of warfare,” he said.

‘J’ stands for Jointness and Integration, Gen Seth said, adding that to enhance the operational effectiveness of the Indian Army, “we will maintain complete synergy and coordination with the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy”.

He said, “I fully recognise that national security is not limited to military strength alone. It requires military-civil fusion and a whole-of-nation approach. This integrated approach will also enable us to contribute meaningfully to nation building and to the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.”

He further said that ‘A’ stands for Atmanirbharta and, with indigenous capabilities and technologies developed within the country, there is a need to build a self-reliant Army.

Lastly, he said ‘Y’ stands for Yodha First, adding that from the Agniveer to the senior-most veteran, each army personnel is a yodha (fighter).