India lacks a coherent defence policy.

1. Absence of India’s Defence
Strategy
The gnat pretending to be the elephant
Dr Sarma VANGALA
C E O
Metastrategy, Inc
Toronto

2. Today, we are emerging from a period of strategic
atrophy, aware that our competitive military
advantage has been eroding.
We are facing increased global disorder, characterized by decline in
the long-standing rules-based international order—creating a security
environment more complex and volatile than any we have
experienced in recent memory.
Inter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now
the primary concern.
US Department of Defense: 2018 Strategic Security Posture {Summary} Unclassified

3. Similar but Different?

4. Similar but Different?

5. Similar but Different?

6. Similar but Different?

7. Similar but Different?

8. Similar but Different?
Nope
Not Similar and
Way, way different

9. Let’s nuke ‘em
Nuclear warheads:
CN 320 {SIPRI Yearbook 2020}
IN 150 {Federation of American Scientists 2018}

10. India’s Defence Posture?
… these include a modest arsenal, nuclear-capable aircraft and
missiles, both in fixed underground silos as well as […] mounted on
mobile rail and road-based platforms.These land-based missiles
include both Agni-II (1,500 km) as well as Agni-III (2,500 km) missiles.
The range and accuracy of further versions – for example, AgniV
(5,000 km), which was tested successfully only recently – will improve
with the acquisition of further technological capability and experience
Shyam SARAN {Chmn, India’s National Security Advisory Board {23 April, 2013}}

11. Compare
IN
AgniV Range 5 000 Km
CN
JL-2 SLBM {Submarine launched} Range 7 500 Km
DF 41 CSS-X-10 ICBM Range 15 000 Km

12. N PT
IN
Blanket ‘No first use policy’.
CN
‘No first use with minimum deterrent posture’ *
* Unclear what minimum deterrent posture means

13. BiologicalWeapons
Both India and China are signatories to
BiologicalWeaponsTreaty
CN Accidents at laboratories testing
bioweapons resulting in haemorrhagic fever
Result: Sanctions on Chinese firms

14. BiologicalWeapons
Both India and China are signatories to
BiologicalWeaponsTreaty
IN
"India will not make biological weapons. It is
cruel to human beings”
A P J Abdul KALAM, President of IndiaOct. 2002

15. U AV Arsenal
CN
• Mature drone technology
• Large international market
• Pakistan is licensed to produceWing Loong II drone
• Chinese drones used inYemen by KSA and UAE
IN
• No indigenous technology
• Not a priority

16. U AV Arsenal
IN
“drones are an important part for surveillance and
intelligence gathering.Their role in the build up to
a conflict is very important. However, once the
conflict starts, they do become susceptible to
enemy action…”
Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria Oct. 2020

17. U AV Arsenal
IN
• Non-existent
• To be procured from US {Predator} subject
to budget

18. A I in China

19. AI in India
WhatAI?

20. Cyberwarfare in India
What Cyberwarfare?

21. LaserWarfare: China

22. LaserWarfare: India
What laser warfare?

23. Summary
China
• A formidable and, for India, unassailable threat
India
• Moribund bureaucracy
• Large amounts of money spent with little ROI

24. Summary
India,
it’s time for a strategy.

25. EasyWin
Interoperability
Data collected by different systems remains a
problem
Hence, leadership distrusts data hence
decisions take time

26. Summary
India,
it’s time for a strategy.

27. SarmaVANGALA, Ph D
Chief Executive Officer
Metastrategy, Inc.
• SarmaVangala is a corporate consultant
specialising in Strategy, M&A and Business
Transformation
• Based inToronto, CANADA
• BTech (IIT(M)); PhD (Exon.); Professional Engineer
• sarma.vangala@metastrategyinc.com

28. Dynamics