PM hails armed forces for Operation Sindoor, inaugurates commanders' conference in Kolkata

Kolkata, Sep 15 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the Armed Forces for the success of ‘Operation Sindoor’, and urged the defence ministry to implement steps to achieve greater self-sufficiency and innovation to meet future challenges, an official said.

Inaugurating the 16th Combined Commanders' Conference (CCC) at the Eastern Command headquarters of the Army at Vijay Durg, the erstwhile Fort William, here, the PM reviewed the reforms implemented in the last two years, and the plan for the next two years.

Modi also unveiled the ‘Indian Armed Forces Vision 2047’ document.

He was briefed on the operational readiness of the forces in the context of the “new normal” created by Operation Sindoor, future of warfare amid emerging technology and tactics, an official statement said.

"The Prime Minister complimented the Armed Forces for the success of Operation Sindoor," it said.

Operation Sindoor was launched in May in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people.

It was conceived as a punitive and targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan, showcasing a calibrated, tri-services response embodying precision, professionalism and purpose, the defence official said.

Addressing the conference, Modi also praised the integral role played by the Armed Forces in nation building, anti-piracy, safe return of Indian citizens from conflict zones, as well as providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) assistance to friendly countries.

"In line with 2025 being the ‘year of reforms’ in defence, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Defence to swiftly implement concrete steps to achieve greater jointness, atmanirbharta and innovation to meet future challenges and to prevail against any eventuality," the statement said. The conference is being attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, among others.

Held once in two years, the three-day Combined Commanders' Conference is the apex-level brainstorming forum of the Armed Forces, which brings together the nation’s top civilian and military leadership to exchange views and lay the groundwork for the future development of India’s military preparedness.

Focusing on reforms, transformation and change and operational preparedness, the theme for this year's conference is 'Year of Reforms - Transforming for the Future', in line with the ongoing modernisation and transformation of the Armed Forces, the statement said.

Over the next two days, the conference would conduct a holistic review of various structural, administrative and operational matters based on the feedback from across the forces, preparedness of the forces in the face of increasing global uncertainties, it said.

Deliberations were held on a wide range of strategic issues, including force modernisation, jointness, integration and enhancing operational readiness for multi-domain warfare.

The CCC was last held in Bhopal in 2023, which was inaugurated by Modi.

The PM, who arrived in Kolkata on Sunday evening from Assam, left the city in the afternoon for Purnea in Bihar.

This was Modi’s fourth visit to Bengal in the past five months and the second within a month. PTI AMR BDC SMY MNB RBT