India's first war to Operation Sindoor: 5 shifts transforming its military power

In November 1947, just weeks after Independence, Kashmir was under siege. Pakistan-backed tribal raiders had advanced rapidly, reaching the very outskirts of Srinagar. Their final objective was the airfield—the fragile lifeline linking the Valley to the rest of India. Losing it would have meant losing Kashmir altogether.

At Badgam, Major Somnath Sharma and fewer than 90 of his men faced an onslaught of nearly 500 heavily armed attackers. They were outnumbered, outgunned and surrounded. Major Sharma, fighting with a broken arm strapped in a sling, refused to retreat. His final words still echo in India’s military history: “I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round.”

The stand at Badgam saved the Srinagar airfield and, with it, Kashmir. But it also revealed the stark reality of India’s early military—a force with no high-tech sensors, no integrated command structure and barely enough men or weapons to hold the line. It was a moment of courage that secured territory but also underlined the fragility of India’s defences in those formative years.

Today, the picture could not be more different. India’s military is now one of the largest in the world, nuclear-capable, technologically integrated and capable of complex joint operations. This transformation did not happen overnight—it took decades, multiple wars, setback, and strategic decisions. Here are the five shifts that have redefined India’s defence power.

From imports to self-reliance

For decades, India depended heavily on foreign arms. The iconic MiG fighter jets came from Russia, howitzers from Sweden and even basic items like rifles and boots were imported. This dependency made the military vulnerable to supply chain delays, diplomatic pressures and operational uncertainty.

Even today, India remains the world’s largest importer of weapons. But since 2021, that dependence has been steadily shrinking. The government announced an import ban on over 3,000 military items—ranging from small helicopters and army vehicles to drones, radars and surveillance systems—because they could now be manufactured domestically.

This shift is not just the result of government policy. Private defence companies, startups and state-run agencies are working together in an unprecedented push for indigenisation. In Tamil Nadu, drone startups like Zuppa and Garuda are producing advanced surveillance UAVs for military use.

India is also becoming an exporter. Defence exports have grown from Rs700 crore a decade ago to more than Rs23,000 crore last year—a 34-fold increase. Countries such as Armenia, the Philippines and Vietnam have purchased Indian weapon systems.

Operation Sindoor in 2025 showcased the results of this self-reliance. Indigenous systems like the BrahMos missile and the Akash air defence platform were deployed alongside foreign acquisitions like the Rafale jets, which ran on Indian-developed software overlays. It was a clear demonstration that home-grown capabilities are no longer just supplementary—they are central to India’s military strategy.

The nuclear reset

India’s nuclear journey is more than a tale of bombs—it is the story of a strategic transformation. Until 1998, India maintained what was known as “nuclear ambiguity.” The world suspected it had the capability but had no proof. That changed in May 1998, when India conducted five nuclear tests under Operation Shakti at Pokhran in Rajasthan.

These tests were not just a technological feat—they were a military pivot. India formalised a nuclear doctrine built on three pillars: No First Use, credible minimum deterrence and civilian control of nuclear weapons. This last point is crucial—the authority to use nuclear weapons lies with elected leaders, not the military reinforcing democratic oversight in matters of existential security.

The Pokhran tests themselves were a masterclass in deception. Under the watchful eyes of US spy satellites scanning the desert daily, Indian scientists and engineers disguised preparations as routine activity. They played cricket in the open during the day, dug shafts at night and even piped away groundwater from blast chambers to avoid detection.

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, later President of India, travelled incognito as part of the mission. The operation remains one of India’s most successful covert achievements.

The real transformation came after the tests. India developed a full nuclear triad—land-based Agni missiles, air-delivered weapons from fighter jets and sea-based platforms for second-strike capability. This provided a full-spectrum deterrent and reshaped India’s global image as a nation capable of wielding nuclear power responsibly.

Wars that reshaped the military

India’s wars have been more than territorial disputes—they have been lessons in transformation.

In 1949, the appointment of General KM Cariappa as the first Indian Army Chief ended the colonial structure where units were divided by caste and rank often followed race. Cariappa created the Brigade of the Guards, India’s first all-India, all-class regiment and enshrined the principle that the military answers to the Constitution, not to political leaders.

His personal integrity was legendary. When Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan—once a subordinate of Cariappa—offered to release his captured son during the 1965 war, the general refused, insisting all soldiers deserved equal treatment.

The 1962 war with China was a wake-up call. Ill-equipped for high-altitude warfare and lacking intelligence capabilities, India suffered defeat. But the setback led to structural reforms under defence minister YB Chavan, including daily briefings between military and civilian leaders, increased defence budgets and expansion of the armed forces.

These changes bore fruit in 1971, when India liberated Bangladesh in just 13 days, forcing the surrender of over 90,000 Pakistani troops—the largest such capitulation since World War II.

But the 1999 Kargil War revealed new vulnerabilities. Pakistani troops had infiltrated and fortified positions inside Indian territory without detection. The lack of a central military intelligence agency, real-time coordination between services and a mountain warfare doctrine were glaring weaknesses.

Post-Kargil reforms included the creation of high-altitude warfare schools, modernisation of glacier combat training and the induction of advanced artillery like the K9 Vajra and M777 howitzers. Most importantly, it shifted India’s mindset—never again assuming peace as the default and preparing for multi-front, multi-domain conflict.

Operation Sindoor and the joint force era

The lessons from Kargil underscored the need for integrated operations. The creation of the Defence Intelligence Agency and Integrated Defence Staff aimed to synchronise planning, logistics and procurement across services. But true integration took time.

In 2019, India appointed its first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, with the mandate to build theatre commands where the army, navy and air force would operate as a single fighting unit.

That vision was tested in 2025 during Operation Sindoor. Indian forces launched precision strikes deep inside Pakistan-controlled territory using a mix of indigenous and imported systems: BrahMos cruise missiles, loitering munitions, Israeli Harop drones and Rafale jets.

Every branch operated in perfect coordination through an integrated command structure. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh later emphasised that logistics—ensuring men, machines, and supplies moved seamlessly—was as decisive as firepower.

Operation Sindoor proved India could conduct high-tech, joint-force warfare and emerge victorious. It was the culmination of decades of reform aimed at turning three separate services into one cohesive warfighting machine.

A force that reflects the nation

The Indian military has long been seen as traditional, male-dominated and hierarchical. That image is changing. The National Defence Academy now admits women cadets, and since 2021, over 500 women officers have received permanent commissions.

In Operation Sindoor, women officers not only served but led operations, symbolising a broader transformation. The modern Indian military collaborates with startups, works alongside civilian experts and draws strength from scientists, AI developers, drone engineers and cybersecurity specialists.

National security today is about more than missiles or deterrence. It is about resilience, adaptability and self-reliance—not just in hardware but in mindset. It is about learning from failures, knowing when to act and when restraint is the smarter weapon.

From Major Somnath Sharma’s stand at Badgam to the synchronised strikes of Operation Sindoor, India’s military journey has been defined by courage, adaptation and a constant push for self-reliance. These five shifts—indigenisation, nuclear strategy, lessons from war, joint-force integration and inclusive modernisation—have not just strengthened India’s defences. They have redefined what it means to be a military power in the 21st century.