New Delhi: Upendra Dwivedi on Monday described the current global environment as one marked by “disorder, distrust and dichotomy in alliances”, warning that power politics is increasingly being used to reshape global prosperity and influence.
Speaking at a seminar titled “Security to Prosperity: Smart Power for Sustained National Growth” organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, the Army Chief said the world is witnessing a far more complex and fractured geopolitical landscape than previously anticipated.
He remarked that earlier expectations of economic prosperity reducing geopolitical rivalry have instead given way to a world where strategic power is being used to reorganise economic and political influence. According to him, shifting alliances, growing distrust among nations, and geopolitical instability have become defining characteristics of the current international order.
General Dwivedi’s comments come amid continuing tensions across several global conflict zones, including the fragile ceasefire situation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
During his address, the Army Chief also highlighted the Indian military’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, referring to Operation Sindoor as an example of coordinated national strategy and smart power application.
He stated that the operation combined military precision, information management, diplomatic signalling, and economic resolve into a unified national response. According to the Army Chief, the operation not only targeted terror infrastructure but also challenged long standing strategic assumptions before concluding in a deliberate and calculated manner.
The Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, was among the deadliest incidents in Kashmir in recent decades, claiming the lives of 26 people after terrorists targeted tourists in the region.
In response, the Indian Army launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, carrying out strikes against terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Officials had stated that the operation resulted in the destruction of multiple terror facilities and the elimination of more than a hundred terrorists.
General Dwivedi said the operation demonstrated how military action, diplomacy, strategic communication, and economic positioning can work together as instruments of national power in addressing security challenges.
