Rajnath Singh Launches CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan’s Book on Future-Ready Armed Forces

The book offers a visionary and comprehensive roadmap for transforming India’s Armed Forces into a future-ready, technologically empowered, and strategically agile force capable of responding to emerging security challenges.

In a significant step toward reimagining India's defence preparedness, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh released a new book titled "Ready, Relevant and Resurgent II: Shaping a Future Ready Force" authored by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, on October 14, 2025, in New Delhi. The book offers a visionary and comprehensive roadmap for transforming India's Armed Forces into a future-ready, technologically empowered, and strategically agile force capable of responding to emerging security challenges.

A Vision for India's Military Transformation

The book builds upon the foundations laid by its predecessor, "Ready, Relevant and Resurgent", expanding on themes of jointness, self-reliance, and modernization within India's defence establishment. It provides an insightful analysis of how warfare has evolved—from traditional battlefields to multi-domain environments encompassing cyber, space, and information warfare—and outlines how India can adapt to this new reality.

General Chauhan's work reflects the integrated thinking behind India's ongoing efforts to modernize and synergize its armed forces, in line with the government's broader vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and technological sovereignty in defence. The book serves both as a doctrinal reflection and a strategic guide to aligning India's defence posture with the demands of 21st-century warfare.

Insights into the Changing Character of Warfare

In "Ready, Relevant and Resurgent II," General Chauhan provides a deep dive into the evolution of warfighting, tracing the transition from industrial-age conflicts to the contemporary era of hybrid, cognitive, and asymmetric warfare. The book emphasizes how non-traditional domains—cyberspace, space-based operations, information warfare, and psychological operations—are increasingly shaping the global strategic environment.

It underscores the imperative for the Indian Armed Forces to develop integrated strategies that blend traditional kinetic capabilities with advanced digital and technological tools, ensuring readiness across all operational spectrums.

The Role of Technology and Jointness

The book outlines the necessity of technological innovation, indigenous R&D, and inter-service cooperation to build a cohesive and responsive defence apparatus. It advocates for leveraging artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, satellite systems, and cyber defence infrastructure to enhance India's strategic deterrence and decision-making capabilities.

General Chauhan emphasizes that future warfare will demand networked command structures, real-time situational awareness, and multi-domain integration — key tenets of the theatre command reforms currently underway under his leadership as CDS.

Leadership and Institutional Strength

A significant portion of the book is devoted to the role of leadership, training, and institutional resilience in shaping a military capable of responding to complex challenges. General Chauhan argues that while technology and modernization are vital, the true strength of the Armed Forces lies in their human capital, discipline, and adaptability.

He stresses the need for cultivating leaders who can think innovatively, act decisively, and maintain moral and operational clarity in the face of uncertainty. "A future-ready force," the book suggests, "is one that not only possesses advanced tools but also embodies intellectual agility, ethical grounding, and strategic foresight."

Raksha Mantri's Remarks: Reaffirming India's Defence Vision

Speaking at the launch event, Shri Rajnath Singh commended General Chauhan for his deep strategic insight and his ability to translate India's defence aspirations into a coherent framework for the future.

He lauded the book as "a timely and thought-provoking contribution to India's strategic literature" and noted that it will serve as a valuable reference for military professionals, policymakers, and scholars.

"The book reflects the collective resolve of India's Armed Forces to stay ahead of the curve," Rajnath Singh said. "As new domains like cyber, space, and cognitive warfare redefine the nature of conflict, we must continue to innovate and modernize while remaining rooted in our values and traditions."

The Defence Minister further highlighted that the government's ongoing reforms—such as promoting jointness among the services, defence industrial indigenization, and technological innovation—are all part of the broader effort to ensure India's long-term security and strategic autonomy.

Event Highlights

The book release ceremony was attended by Maj Gen (Dr) Ashok Kumar, Director General of the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), and Shri Rajan Arya, the publisher from Pentagon Press. Senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, retired service officers, and scholars of strategic studies were also present.

Maj Gen (Dr) Ashok Kumar praised the book's emphasis on intellectual preparedness and the integration of modern concepts into traditional military frameworks. He observed that it captures the essence of how India must adapt to multi-domain operations (MDO) and the fusion of technology with doctrine and training.

A Blueprint for the Future

"Ready, Relevant and Resurgent II" stands as a forward-looking manifesto for India's Armed Forces — one that recognizes the rapid pace of technological change and the importance of foresight in defence planning. It reinforces the idea that India's security strategy must be proactive, adaptive, and deeply integrated across land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains.

As India continues to assert its role as a responsible regional and global power, General Chauhan's book provides both a strategic reflection and a call to action — urging the nation to stay ready, relevant, and resurgent in a rapidly transforming world.