President Murmu Inaugurates Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2025, Highlights India’s Evolving Security Vision

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday inaugurated the third edition of the Indian Army’s ‘Chanakya Defence Dialogue-2025’, stressing that India’s growing security capabilities, diplomatic maturity and economic strength together project a nation committed to peace yet fully prepared to protect its borders.

Addressing military leaders, strategic experts and policymakers, the President praised the professionalism and patriotism of the Indian Armed Forces, noting their adaptability across conventional warfare, counter-insurgency operations and humanitarian crises. She described the recent Operation Sindoor as a “defining moment” that showcased India’s counter-terror strategy and moral clarity in acting firmly but responsibly.

President Murmu said the global geopolitical climate is undergoing rapid shifts driven by competing power centres, technological disruption and emerging domains such as cyber, space and cognitive warfare. In this evolving landscape, she said India continues to follow its civilisational ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, maintaining strategic autonomy alongside global responsibility.

She welcomed the Army’s ongoing “Decade of Transformation,” which includes structural reforms, doctrine reorientation and capability upgrades aimed at making the force future-ready. These reforms, she said, will significantly strengthen India’s march towards self-reliance in defence.

Highlighting efforts to develop human capital, the President commended the Army’s initiatives to inspire youth through education, NCC expansion and sports. She noted that the growing participation of women officers and soldiers would further deepen inclusivity and motivate more young women to join the armed forces.

President Murmu expressed confidence that the Chanakya Defence Dialogue-2025 would provide crucial insights for shaping India’s long-term national security strategy. She affirmed that the armed forces, with their unwavering dedication, will continue contributing to the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.