India deploys AI to modernise its military operations
India is integrating artificial intelligence into battlefield awareness, logistics and decision-making as part of a major shift in its defence posture.
In a move reflecting its growing strategic ambitions, India is rapidly implementing AI across its defence forces. The country’s military has moved from policy to practice, using tools from real-time sensor fusion to predictive maintenance to transform how it fights.
The shift has involved institutional change. India’s Defence AI Council and Defence AI Project Agency (established 2019) are steering an ecosystem that includes labs such as the Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
One recent example is the cross-border operation Operation Sindoor (May 2025), in which AI-driven platforms appeared in roles ranging from intelligence analysis to operational coordination.
This effort signals more than just a technological upgrade. It underscores a shift in warfare logic, where systems of systems, connectivity and rapid decision-making matter more than sheer numbers.
India’s incorporation of AI into its capabilities, drone swarming, combat simulation and logistics optimisation, is aligned with broader trends in defence innovation and digital diplomacy. The country’s strategy now places AI at the heart of its procurement demands and force design.
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