Plan to take Army Day Parade celebration to smaller cities: Gen Dwivedi

Pune, Jan 15 (PTI) Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday said they are planning to take the Army Day Parade event to smaller cities and have shortlisted Guwahati, Jabalpur, Jaipur and Bhopal for consideration as possible venues.

He also said that "nari shakti" (women power) will play a pivotal role in the Indian Army.

Gen Dwivedi was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Army Day Parade held at the Bombay Engineering Group (BEG) and Centre in Maharashtra's Pune, which comes under the Army’s Southern Command.

Indian Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year to honour the nation's armed forces and the sacrifices made by them.

Responding to a question, General Dwivedi said there are plans to take the Army Day Parade celebrations to smaller cities.

"We have shortlisted Guwahati, Jaipur, Bhopal and Jabalpur and a committee will examine the venues which will provide the best ecosystem to conduct the next parade," he said.

"Moreover, we are also planning to include the marching columns of veterans and tableaux showcasing contributions from local defence production companies, reflecting self-reliance in the defence sector," Gen Dwivedi said.

Notably, Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative was one of the key features and theme of the Army Day Parade in Pune.

Asked about it, Gen Dwivedi said that self-reliance, or Atmanirbhar Bharat, must be understood from three critical perspectives -- the mental self-reliance of every Indian, the industrial development aspect, and the Indian approach to achieving the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India).

"Everything we saw today during the parade was Indian manufactured, be it the robots, quadcopters, the artillery gun- Vajra. The names of the equipment carry a distinctly Indian touch," he said.

Speaking on industrial self-reliance, he highlighted remarkable achievements across various domains, including "firepower, force application and preservation".

Pune, in particular, was lauded as a hub of research, development and manufacturing in defence, he said.

Today, 85 per cent of the Army's capital expenditure is directed towards indigenous production, a testament to the nation's industrial progress, Gen Dwivedi said.

Asked about the Pune-headquartered Southern Command's role in fostering "jointmanship" among the three armed forces, he said the command, covering 41 per cent of India's landmass across 11 states and three Union Territories, plays a pivotal role in the nation's defence and disaster response.

The Southern Command is associated with three naval and four air commands, making it a "swing command" ready for operations on both borders, as well as for humanitarian and disaster relief missions, he said.

"What sets the Southern Command apart is its proximity to India's defence industrial ecosystem. Nearly all major defence industries fall under the command's jurisdiction," Gen Dwivedi said.

"As we step into a transformative decade with a focus on technology absorption and infusion, the Southern Command will remain central to driving innovation," the official noted. PTI SPK GK