Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi articulated a vision of “smart power” that involves a calculated approach to national security, including the strategic dismantling of terror infrastructure. Speaking at a seminar in New Delhi, Gen Dwivedi detailed a past operation where Indian forces purposefully halted operations after achieving specific objectives, demonstrating a nuanced application of military and diplomatic tools.
The seminar, hosted by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), drew senior military officials, retired officers, and international representatives. Gen Dwivedi’s address emphasized the complexities of the current global landscape, characterized by disorder, distrust, and shifting alliances. He challenged the notion that economic interdependence would preclude conflict, arguing that power politics are now being used to reshape prosperity.
Information reaching TahirRihat.com suggests that Gen. Dwivedi highlighted an operation, codenamed ‘Sindoor,’ which occurred on the intervening night of May 6-7 in 2025, where India acted decisively within a 22-minute window. According to Gen. Dwivedi, this operation showcased military precision, information control, diplomatic signaling, and economic resolve, all working in concert. The forces struck deep, dismantled terror infrastructure, punctured a long-standing strategic assumption, and then stopped deliberately and purposefully. The Army Chief asserted that this deliberate approach, executed after 88 hours, exemplified smart power in its truest form, knowing precisely when to transition a military action into a strategic advantage.
Gen Dwivedi also addressed the evolving relationship between security and prosperity, stating that the boundary between them is dissolving. Modern conflicts place simultaneous demands on armed forces, industrial production, research systems, and governance structures. He emphasized that security is not merely a cost to be borne by prosperity but rather a prerequisite for its advancement.
In his address, Gen Dwivedi referenced Joseph Nye’s concept of smart power, defining it as the strategic intelligence to deploy the right instruments with the appropriate intensity to achieve specific goals. For India, this translates to using national strength with strategic wisdom to secure peace, accelerate growth, and shape the global environment favorably.
Gen Dwivedi presented his own framework for smart power, using the acronym ‘SMART,’ where each letter represents a key component of strategic design. ‘S’ stands for statecraft, emphasizing the need to master the art of deploying diplomatic, informational, military, and economic instruments with precision and coherence in a world that rewards those who can operate across these domains. ‘M’ signifies manufacturing depth, highlighting the importance of a nation’s ability to produce its essential needs in an era of fragmented supply chains and weaponized technology.
The ‘A’ in ‘SMART’ represents accelerating innovation, aligning with the Prime Minister’s call for jointness, self-reliance (Atmanirbharta), and innovation (JAI). ‘R’ stands for resilience, and ‘T’ signifies technology primacy. Gen Dwivedi underscored the importance of each element in navigating the current geostrategic landscape and adapting to the new normal of hard power.
Gen Dwivedi cautioned that the very forces promising to unite nations have become instruments of coercion. Semiconductors and their availability are now tools for hedging, while the Strait of Hormuz is a zone of active contestation. Global defense spending has surpassed USD 2.7 trillion, exceeding the UN budget for Sustainable Development Goals.
The Army Chief posed a crucial question to the audience: Is smart power the defining currency of sustained national growth, or has the raw calculus of hard power reclaimed the center stage of the global order? He urged attendees to view the world as it is, rather than as one wishes it to be, highlighting the urgency of adapting to the changing dynamics of international relations.
Tahir Rihat (also known as Tahir Bilal) is an independent journalist, activist, and digital media professional from the Chenab Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is best known for his work as the Online Editor at The Chenab Times.