Kolkata will soon see a turning point in India’s defence calendar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi opening the Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) later this week. The senior-most command of the Army, Navy, and Air Force will join the top Ministry of Defence bureaucrats for a high-profile gathering to discuss critical issues defining India’s security paradigm.
The Combined Commanders’ video conference is not an occasion for a meeting. It is an arena in which the military gathers, discusses, and decides on their future trajectory. The conference this year in Kolkata takes on an added significance as problems are bound to focus around emerging challenges, the expanding role of technology in warfare, and efforts at self-reliance by India in defense production.
Officials say the agenda will further have discussion on current operations, plans for modernization, and measures to counter cyber and space-based threats. As the security environment of the world is experiencing a quick rotation of events, the conference will allow India’s defence establishment to realign its strategy in a way to better protect the country’s interests.
For Kolkata too, the event is of equal importance. Hosting such a high-profile event puts the focus on the city’s rich contribution to India’s defence saga. From being the location of Eastern Command headquarters to its wide association with the armed forces, Kolkata offers a symbolic backdrop for discussions regarding national security.
The presence of Prime Minister Modi will definitely add gravitas to the event. Earlier, in similar conclaves, he has stressed the requirement for tri-service jointness, induction of new technology, and increased indigenization of defence hardware. His speech will definitely reiterate these recommendations and challenge the forces to always be adaptive and visionary.Apart from policy and strategy, the conference is also a reminder of the human face of defence — the uniformed women and men who put life and limb at risk in their service and defence of the country. The choices made here will ultimately determine the equipment, training, and support they depend on daily.As the Combined Commanders’ Conference gets underway in Kolkata, it will be followed keenly not only for the signals of policy change, but also for the message it sends on India’s receptiveness to meet the challenges of the future.
