Speaking at the NDTV Defence Summit 2026, Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth argued that technological advances may be transforming the character of warfare, but territorial control remains the tangible measure of military success. He said technology is shortening individual battles without necessarily shortening wars, describing contemporary conflicts as “wars with pause” in which changes in intensity do not necessarily amount to an end to hostilities. Seth stressed that, amid the growing role of information warfare, drones, AI and other technologies, one reality remains unchanged: victory is ultimately measured in territorial terms, with territory having to be occupied, secured and defended by forces on the ground. He also placed the soldier, or yoddha (warrior), at the centre of capability development, arguing that every new military capability must ultimately serve the soldier operating on the ground.