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Kolkata, Jul 18 (PTI): Former Army chief Gen Manoj Pande (retd) on Saturday said Kolkata and the northeast have "tremendous potential" to emerge as a defence manufacturing hub.

Pande also asserted that conventional warfare and the role of the soldier would remain decisive despite the rapid integration of advanced technologies into modern battlefields.

Addressing a seminar on 'National Security and Economic Resilience for a Viksit Bharat' organised by the Vyana Geo-Economic Forum (VGEF) here, he stressed the need for India's armed forces to transform across multiple domains, including cyber, space and information warfare, to remain prepared for future conflicts.

Recalling his association with Kolkata and the northeast, where he served four tenures during his military career, Pande described the metropolis as "very dear" to him.

"I was fortunate to be posted here (in Kolkata) twice. I found the people here very warm, respectful and welcoming," he said, reminiscing about Christmas festivities on Park Street, the Maidan, cruises on the Hooghly and visiting pandals during Durga Puja.

The former Army chief urged industry leaders and academic institutions in West Bengal to seize opportunities in defence manufacturing.

"There is a lot of potential for defence production in and around Kolkata and the northeast. You have premier academic institutions like IIT-Kharagpur and other engineering colleges," he said.

Pande said Assam had already made significant progress in the sector and called upon West Bengal to "step up and grab the opportunity", adding that supportive state government policies could help unlock the region's potential.

On the changing nature of warfare, Pande rejected the view that conventional combat had become obsolete because of drones and precision weapons.

"The importance of the soldier will always remain very salient, very important. I don't agree with the hypothesis that drones alone are the future of warfare," he asserted.

According to Pande, traditional platforms such as infantry, tanks and artillery will continue to play a critical role, but would have to evolve by integrating new technologies.

"If there is a tank, it should be able to launch drones, detect enemy movement and operate in a networked environment. Technology has to be integrated into conventional platforms," he said.

The former Army chief said recent conflicts had demonstrated that technology alone could not determine victory or defeat.

"Technology will be an enabler. We cannot ignore it and must optimise its potential. But, technology by itself will not decide the outcome of a battlefield," he said.

Calling transformation "the way forward", Pande said future wars would no longer be confined to land, sea and air, but increasingly involve cyber, electronic, space and information domains.

"It is no longer the old way of fighting. We have to build capabilities across all domains and prepare for the wars of the future, not the last war," he said.

Pande said transformation should go beyond modernising infantry, artillery and armour, and include reforms in human resource management, jointness among the three services, organisational structures, doctrines and military philosophy.

Highlighting the growing significance of information warfare, he said it had moved from the margins of military planning to the "centre stage".

Responding to a question on whether Army jawans should be allowed to actively use social media platforms, Pande said soldiers must be educated about both the opportunities and risks associated with mobile phones and digital platforms.

"When we grew up in the Army, one firearm was issued against your name. You were expected to sleep with it, train with it and know it thoroughly. Today, a 6.5-inch mobile phone is as important, if not more, than a personal weapon," he said.

Pande said awareness, education, enforcement and regulation must go hand in hand.

"A soldier must understand what a mobile phone can do, what its pitfalls are, both during war and in peacetime, and what the security threats are. Education is important, awareness is important, and some amount of enforcement and regulation is also essential," he said.

The former Army chief also said that commanders should engage with troops through honest and transparent communication.

"If you communicate well, they understand. You have to be honest, transparent and upfront, while accepting that there will always be some risks," he said. PTI SCH RBT

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)