CDS Anil Chauhan on Future Wars: CDS Anil Chauhan Says Future Wars Will Go Beyond Traditional BattlefieldsOn Saturday, May 23, 2026, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan spoke at the opening of the NIBE Defence Manufacturing Complex in Shirdi, Maharashtra. He said the place, which people mostly know for faith and spirituality, will now also be seen as a centre for defence work, industry, new ideas, and national security. He also said Shirdi is becoming an important spot for defence manufacturing and technology growth.
The event was held in Ahilyanagar district, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as well as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were present there too. NIBE’s new complex is being projected as a big step for India’s private defence sector.
Future war will not stay on one front
General Chauhan said war is changing fast and will not stay limited to old-style fighting on land alone. He explained that the next kind of war will happen across many spaces at once. CDS said, “Future wars will be multi-domain where land, sea, cyberspace, cognitive warfare, and air will operate together.” He also added, “The battlefield of today will no longer be limited to a geographical space, but information networks, digital ecosystems, cyber infrastructure, and data environments will also become part of this battle space,” he said.
He said modern war is no longer only about soldiers, old weapons, or platform-based fighting. CDS pointed to Artificial Intelligence, robotics, cyber systems, drones, autonomous platforms, space technologies, precision strike weapons, and information dominance as the things now shaping the battlefield of the future. He said speed, technology, and fresh ideas will matter a lot in the days ahead.
India’s defence growth and the call to young minds
General Chauhan also spoke about India’s defence production numbers. He said domestic defence manufacturing has reached nearly Rs 1.27 lakh crore, while defence exports have gone past Rs 38,000 crore. He said Indian defence goods are now being sent to more than 100 countries.
CDS praised Nibe Limited as a sign of rising confidence in India’s private defence industry. CDS mentioned its work in missile systems, ammunition, autonomous platforms, and new technologies. He also told young engineers and innovators to help build a stronger India and said, “The future belongs to those who create change. You are the power of India. You are the architects of Viksit Bharat,” he said.
